Honoring History: Jessica Botts' Journey to Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives Project

Graduate Research Assistant Jessica Botts is bringing a diverse background and expertise — and an enduring love of history — to support the Sam and Frances Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy on the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project. Assisting graphic artist Miriam Libicki and editors Mark Celinscak and Charlotte Schallié, Botts supports research for a book project about Holocaust survivor Rose Lipszyc. The work includes everything from transcribing audio interviews, locating historical photos, and collaborating with scholars and researchers.

“I am honored to be a part of this project to record personal stories of such a momentous time in all of our histories,” Botts says. “I've always loved learning about history, but I think for many people, myself included, there's something about WWII that is especially intriguing. Maybe it's how there's a huge chasm in the way humanity acted out the best and worst of us to such an expansive degree during that time.”

Botts’ own career began in the U.S. Navy, serving in various capacities while stationed in hospitals in North Carolina and Naples, Italy. Following those tours, she went through advanced training to go with the Marines for three years, including two deployments that totaled 18 months in Afghanistan.

After an honorable discharge in 2011, Botts went on to complete an Associate's Degree and later earned a Bachelor's Degree in History with a minor in Biology. Her post-military life involved various roles, but her love for history remained a constant. Today, Botts works at an equestrian center — sharing a love of riding horses with her daughter — and helps coach her son’s Special Olympics Swim Team. She's currently pursuing a master's degree in history at UNO, with a focus in environmental history of the American West and Native American Studies.

It's through her current graduate program that she got connected to Celinscak and the project.

“After meeting with Dr. Celinscak initially and finding out the goals of this project to create graphic novel style literature and curriculum based on the work we're doing, I was immediately bought in,” Botts says. “Because of some of the uniqueness of my son and knowing how hard connecting to history can be for non-traditional learners, the idea that there will be a new set of resources for teachers to have and use to make history more accessible for all students really makes me happy and grateful for historical projects like this. It means opening a new window for those whom it was previously not as easily accessible.”

Through her military background, academic pursuits, and community engagement, Botts embodies resilience, dedication, and a commitment to preserving and sharing stories that deserve to be heard.

"We are fortunate to have Jessica assisting on this project,” Celinscak says. “Her expertise as a graduate student in the Department of History, her experience in the United States Navy and her time spent overseas in countries such as Italy and Afghanistan, give her unique insight that is of great value to this project. She has worked tirelessly transcribing deeply moving survivor testimony and has utilized her skills as a graduate student in history to assist both the artist and editors."

The Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project is a seven-year grant-funded initiative based at the University of Victoria under the leadership of Project Director Dr. Charlotte Schallié and Co-Director Dr. Andrea Webb. The Sam and Frances Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy, of which Celinscak is Executive Director, is a partner on the project.