Senior Reflections: Class of 2026

Editor:

Kate Broeksmit '26

Photo Credit

Janelle Bonagurio

May 27, 2025

As the number of days remaining at Hamilton before graduation begins to dwindle, senior docents have been reflecting on what their time working at the Wellin has meant for them. The museum has served as a space of personal growth, connection, and learning for so many docents, and we want to take a moment to thank all the people who have made our work possible: the museum staff, safety officers, artists, students, and of course our supervisors Marjorie Hurley and Emily Girard.

For senior docents, leading class tours for Hamilton students, engaging with community members through K-12 visits, or facilitating art making activities through Wellin Kids, have represented important ways we have been able to connect with the broader community through our work. As these reflections showcase, we all have seen the power of the Wellin as a place that fosters community, intentional dialogue, curiosity, and new perspectives.

A few of our Senior docents had some memories and words to share surrounding their experiences at the Wellin.

Kendall Bocklet
Docent & K-12 Education Assistant
Major: Art History

Kendall Bocklet

At the Wellin, I have been fortunate to take on a variety of positions, beginning as a docent and finding my way to the student hiring committee and to my role as a K-12 Education Assistant. This year, I had the privilege of taking on my work as a K-12 Education Assistant with Ellie Roberts '26. Working closely with Marjorie Hurley and Emily Girard, we were able to invite hundreds of local students to the museum to partake in tours, gallery activities, and artmaking that brought Jamea Richmond-Edwards's "Another World and Yet the Same" to life.

In particular, the most impactful experiences have been the adaptations we have made to our typical lesson plans—including specialized tours for low-income students in Utica and for adults in memory care—that have taught me to think critically about the work I do and to engage with the needs of my audience. I am grateful for all the lessons I learned in creativity and collaboration from this team, and I will carry the Wellin with me for the rest of my career!”

Sydney Picolli
Docent & Collection Magazine Editor and Writer
Major: Art History

Sydney Piccoli

I started working at the Wellin during one of my very first weeks on Hamilton's campus. When I first applied, I did not think much of it. In high school, I was a humanities kid who had taken one art history class and worked with an artist on her social media and communications content for a few years. I saw the application in my inbox and put one in on a whim. If first-year me could only see me now, she'd say "Wow, what a stellar whim at that."

When I first started working at the Wellin, I was only beginning to understand the role that art would play in my life.

With each tour I gave, I realized how much art had the power to transform how we think and feel about the world. The Wellin has also shown me just how much I value having an art-centered community in my life…Being able to hear from K-12 students, museum curators, living artists, college students and really anyone you could think of about what they find interesting within the Wellin has been really eye-opening.

Sydney also reflected on her work on the Collections Magazine:

Out of the 10 published issues, I have worked on 7 of them and loved every minute. From start to finish, the magazine is ours. We can decide what we want to write about and how we want to design it. We are handed a blank canvas, and from there we slowly start to put the pieces together. As part of the magazine team, I have interviewed several visiting artists, learned in-depth about numerous objects from our collection, conquered InDesign (give or take), and so much more. It has truly been such a rewarding educational experience.

Lily Watts
Docent & Collection Magazine Editor and Writer
Major: Environmental Studies
Minor: Art

Lily Watts

It’s impossible to fully capture my time at the Wellin in just a few words. The Wellin has been such a force in my growth and development as a student, emerging professional, and person. During my time here, I have deepened my understanding of art and culture while also facilitating learning experiences for a wide range of visitors. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that museum education is inherently reciprocal—everyone, regardless of experience or age, is constantly learning from one another.

One of the most special experiences I’ve had at the Wellin is working for Collection Magazine. I talk about this publication all the time because it is so much fun to be a part of. My favorite contributions to the magazine are my crossword puzzles—I love creating interactive elements and I find it so rewarding to see readers engage with them. I also enjoy illustrating and writing for each edition. Additionally, through Collection, I met one of my best friends, Liv Piersall. Over the past two years, I’ve grown incredibly close to my team, and I couldn’t ask for a more talented, supportive, and fun group to work with.

Zach Yasinov
Docent
Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Minors: Italian Studies, Art History

Zach Yasinov

As a Biochemistry concentrator at the Wellin, I recognize how art has been a cornerstone of my education and the discipline reminds me to ground myself within humanistic investigations of expressions of creativity and culture beyond that of the manifestations of biochemical interactions that make up who we are. While discussing the forms and materiality of works are certainly of intrigue, the social conditions for an artwork’s production and the cultural history behind this context interest me more, and I have grown fond of these discernable skills I gained at Hamilton’s art history classes and the Wellin. Case in point, within the Wellin’s collection and exhibitions, I have not only learned professional skills to effectively communicate these ideas to visitors in both English and Italian, but I have learned a greater importance of celebrating the intersectionality of art and human experience.

My greatest joys have been facilitating children’s programming to make art more accessible and exciting for younger audiences, inviting conversations about the artwork in new and exciting ways. Additionally, I am proud to have served on the docent hiring committee during my senior year, shaping a sustainable future of cohorts of docents who share the Wellin’s mission of teaching through the visual arts.

Ending note from Kate Broeksmit
Docent
Major: Art History, Economics

Kate Broeksmit
For us seniors, as we prepare to graduate and begin new chapters beyond Hamiton, we will carry with us the relationships, lessons, and memories we have made at the Wellin. To be a part of this space, that continually inspires dialogue and creativity, has been something we are all tremendously grateful for.