BIO
Born in the Panhandle of Florida, Holley developed a love for history at an early age. In middle school, she immersed herself in biographies of Lucille Ball, Tammy Wynette, the Romanov Dynasty, the House of Windsor, and political dynasties such as the Roosevelts and Kennedys. It was after reading The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt in high school that Holley began to dream of being a historian and writer. She set her eyes on one day working at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York.
During her senior year of high school, Holley chose to conduct her Capstone Project on Franklin Roosevelt and the creation of the March of Dimes. Her research took her to Warm Springs, Georgia, where she interned at Roosevelt’s Little White House and shared stories about the historic site with visitors from across the country. At the age of seventeen, Holley had discovered her passion.
After graduating with an A.A. and high school diploma from the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College, Holley attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. As a history major, she completed her senior thesis on the Effect of the Eighteenth Amendment on the Election of 1932.
Upon graduating from the University of Florida, Holley was invited by the Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum to embark upon an internship at the Library, fulfilling her high school dream. There, she worked with the public events team and hosted the likes of Madeleine Albright and Ken Burns and assisted in curating Albright’s “Read My Pins” exhibit.
Upon finishing her internship, the National Park Service asked Holley to spearhead a historical restoration project on Eleanor Roosevelt’s photos at her home, Val-Kill. In addition to partnering with the National Park Service, she collaborated with members of the Roosevelt family and close friends to locate the former first lady’s photographs and restore them to their original locations in the home. In total, around seventy-five original photographs were restored to Val-Kill. Holley also researched and wrote extensive captions on each photograph for the website.
In 2015, Holley was hired by the Eleanor Roosevelt Center to serve as the program assistant for the Girls’ Leadership Worldwide Program (GLW). GLW brought eighty-four girls from thirteen different countries to Hyde Park for nine days of leadership workshops, inspiring them to follow in the footsteps of Eleanor Roosevelt and make an impact in their communities. Because of her knowledge of Eleanor Roosevelt, Holley was invited to teach a workshop on the life and legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Continuing to pursue her love for presidential history, Holley next began an internship with the Richard Nixon Foundation. Within a month, she was hired by the Foundation to serve as a researcher and development assistant. While working with the development team, Holley again assisted in the execution of events that hosted prominent figures such as Condoleezza Rice and John Kasich. In the fall of 2017, the Foundation asked Holley to research and create an exhibit on Pat Nixon at the University of Southern California called “The Trojan First Lady,” highlighting Mrs. Nixon’s ties to her alma mater.
After deciding to pursue a Masters degree through the University of West Florida, Holley moved back to the East Coast and started her career as a freelancer. She has since worked in various industries such as real estate, AI software, financial technology, and nonprofits. In addition to her work as a writer and virtual assistant, Holley has edited manuscripts for historians and authors.
Even while expanding her professional horizons, Holley has maintained her passion for history and continues to write articles on historical topics she is passionate about. She has been published in American Heritage Magazine, The Historians, and various other publications. Holley has also been featured as a guest on several podcasts.