My name is John Bush, I graduated from Old Dominion University in 2026 with a Bachelor’s of Science in General Studies.

My life has been defined by service, leadership, and accountability. My journey to ODU was long and definitely “non-traditional.” I came for the General Studies program to study disciplines outside of history and archaeology that would inform both. I developed a job, Museum Accessibility Technologist, and a mission: To make Tidewater history accessible to everyone, especially people with disabilities who might not otherwise experience it meaningfully.

I was raised by a single mom with the help of my grandfather, both Tidewater natives. I spent summers in Virginia Beach visiting my great-grandparents in their converted 1910 oyster cleaning shack home on the Lynnhaven. We sat on the porch and listened to my great-grandfather’s stories while the tides struck the land. I came to understand that history wasn’t just in books, but in buildings, everyday objects, and family.

My Navy service as a Second Class Boatswain’s Mate specializing in marlinspike seamanship, instilled in me commitment, resolve, and strength in the face of adversity. By 20 I oversaw up to 30 seamen. The pressure, especially during dangerous small-boat evolutions at sea, cultivated my leadership and mission focus.

I started my higher education at Northern Virginia Community College, then moved back to Tidewater, where I transferred to TCC. I shifted my focus from serving my country to serving my community’s history. I possess significant primary source documents, such as original condemnation papers that allowed the Navy to acquire land for NAS Oceana, displacing my own family, among many others. I fight for the legacy of Tidewater.

Accountability and discipline also helped me in my career at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where I was put in charge of record management overhaul and served on a multi-agency committee under the Department of Commerce. Yet no matter which office I held, I kept being pulled to the swamp.

I studied Archaeology at VCU and learned to bridge the gap between the past and future. I wasn’t there long before I returned home to help provide hospice care for my grandfather. At the very least, I owed it to the man who didn’t deserve the cards our family was dealt yet played them so skillfully as to be able to help his grandson attend college.

Once at ODU, I found a home. I started a business and researched historic Norfolk in an internship. I was honored to address the Board of Visitors to advocate for the General Studies program and be nominated for the prestigious Kaufman Award. My goal is to use modern technology (AI, 3D scanning and printing) to ensure that Tidewater’s history is not demolished like my Great-Great-Grandfather’s farm, my Great-Grandparent’s oyster shack, and my Grandfather’s legacy.