Classmate Profile: Madie Wilson
By: Kelley Waidley

Madie Wilson, a Cumberland native and senior at Frostburg State University, is currently finishing her degree in history with a minor in journalism.  She has distinguished herself among the student body as both the President of the history club as well as the FSU chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an honors history fraternity.  After graduating, she aspires to be a museum curator, librarian, or park ranger.  Her focus lies in American history which explains her penchant for exploration both within and beyond the United States.

Wilson is considerably well traveled within the country and speaks particularly fondly of Utah.  She describes it as an area of rich history (particularly Native American), a highly active lifestyle, and diverse food options.  Specifically, she recalls her experience of eating a bison burger for the first time, the meat of which has a naturally occurring and very enjoyable sage flavor.  During high school, soccer was Wilson’s passion, but a number of injuries including four torn ACLs rendered her unable to play; despite her bad knees, however, she took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy Utah’s abundant outdoor life, especially hiking.  “It’s a different world,” she says, claiming the mountains of Utah make the Appalachians look like meager hills.

Wilson’s travels have not been restricted to Utah, however; she has also spent considerable time northward in states such as New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Maine, and New Jersey.  When asked her impression of the New England region, she happily replied, “Vermont is kind of granola,” in reference to the hippie lifestyle of living off the land shared by many of its inhabitants, a subculture with which she identifies to a degree.  She also spent time in Ireland as well as the UK countries of Wales, England, and Scotland.  Wilson chose to opt out of the typical “senior week” in Ocean City to make her UK and Ireland trip, whose culture was more her style. “I’m an Anglophile,” she says with a laugh. “Anything British I need to know about.”

Wilson is certainly a cultured young woman, a quality many her age lack.  Surely she will be going on to great things and even greater places, undoubtedly learning more history each step along the way.