RS: Tell me about the path that led to you becoming a Licensed Battlefield Guide.
DN: You can’t be a guide at Gettysburg without a government license, but you’re not employed by the park. Gettysburg does all the testing to make sure you know what you’re talking about, but you’re self-employed. Though the park is open year-round and guides are available every day, the job is mostly seasonal—from March to November.
After I passed my Licensed Battlefield test, I spent five years teaching American history during the school year in Western Pennsylvania and driving to Gettysburg to guide part time during the summer. When I finished my master’s degree in 1978, I quit my teaching job and came out here to guide full time for the next two years. I ate a lot of spaghetti!
I started substitute teaching in all kinds of subjects. Finally, Gettysburg High School had an opening: 11th grade American history. I applied, had an interview and got the job. I kept it for almost 30 years before I retired to go back to full-time guiding. I have been in seventh heaven from the first moment.
RS: Did you experience any particular challenges or discrimination as a woman in this role?
DN: I had been guiding about five years, when I had a single gentlemen visitor. He looked like he was in the military. The Park Ranger introduced us, and I noticed the way he looked at me, like — what does this woman know about battle? But he didn’t say anything.
I always carry around the map because people can be very visual. I had them color coded —blue for the north and red for the south — and when he saw it, he said “well at least you have the colors right.” I knew exactly what he meant. He was a colonel who graduated from West Point. At West Point, they always showed the U.S. troops in blue and the enemy in red. By the end of that two-hour tour, he had warmed up. He found out this woman knew something about the battle of Gettysburg. The test you have to take is 200 fill-in-the-blank and essay questions. So they make sure you know your stuff!