Jul

“Smithsonian Information, this is Sonja, how may I help you?”

For a little over 10 years now, this is how Sonja Briscoe has greeted callers to the Smithsonian Call Center where she volunteers every other Saturday afternoon. The center is managed by the Office of Visitor Services (OVS).

Briscoe smiles for the camera while on the phone, sitting at desk with multiple computer monitors. — *Sonja Briscoe (wo)mans the phones at the Smithsonian Visitor Information Desk. (Photo by Michael Rubin)*

Sonja is a true Washingtonian. Born, raised and educated in D.C., Sonja and her mom, along with their dog, Lexi, still call the District home. Sonja also has a younger brother who lives with his family in Leesburg, Va. Sonja’s first degree is in anthropology, but her dream of becoming a real-life Indiana Jones was quashed by her dislike of enclosed spaces. Instead, she earned her MBA in Human Resources and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, and works today as a National Benefits Consultant with Kaiser Permanente. She also enjoys a parttime job which brings her closer to one of her passions; more on that in a minute.

Sonja has lots of interests and passions. She is still a student of sorts. A fan of “The Great Courses”, Sonja also is currently working on receiving her World Art History Certificate through the Smithsonian Associates. She considers herself as having an “almost green thumb” and enjoys tending to her vegetable and herb garden every year, which fits well with her love of cooking and trying new recipes. No conversation about Sonja’s passions could be complete without mentioning her love of hockey and basketball. The Caps and Wizards are an important part of her life as a Washingtonian, and she enjoys working parttime as a ticket taker at Capital One Arena (just in case you were thinking the person in the photo looks familiar). [Ed. note: Rock the Red!]

Volunteering is a very important part of Sonja’s story. In addition to the Smithsonian, she has in the past, given her time and skills to the Humane Rescue Alliance (for her love of dogs) and the Capital Area Food Bank.

Then there is the Smithsonian: Her first experience working with us was as a paid staff member in the 1980s, in the Office of Museum Programs. She is one of few people you might meet today that can speak of her time working in the Arts and Industries Building. But her love of the Smithsonian would bring her back. As a visitor and a student of anthropology and culture, she enjoys losing herself in the halls of our museums. She spent a brief time as an information desk volunteer at the Natural History Museum before joining the Call Center program.

Each year, the Smithsonian Call Center (still located in the Castle until OVS moves to new space in the Quad) receives tens of thousands of calls from people across the country. Inquiries range from visit planning, to research inquiries, to vendors and others looking to conduct business or partner with the Smithsonian, to those hoping to make a contribution of money, artifacts, or their time. It’s a big job handling such a large range of questions and requests, but Sonja’s experience and desire to help people carries the day. After an absence from volunteering dating to shortly before the pandemic, she realized this past year how much she missed the work as well as the people that she volunteered alongside.

Sonja has lots of interests and passions. OVS is fortunate that the call center is one of them. The Smithsonian’s public is fortunate too. The Smithsonian is a big place with lots of staff and volunteers, and you never know who you will encounter. Although, if you call 633-1000 on a Saturday afternoon, you may very well hear:

“Smithsonian Information, this is Sonja, how may I help you?”