What motivated you to pursue accreditation?

I have been working on my own family history and that of friends and family for many years. In 1999, after moving to the Salt Lake City area, I decided that I wanted to pursue my education and genealogy as a business. I love putting together puzzles and helping people and isn’t that what genealogy is all about? I decided to return to school at BYU and complete my degree in Family History. This gave me a good foundation, but I wanted more. I decided to go back to school and get a master’s degree in Library and Information Science through San Jose State University and graduated in 2012. I began the accreditation process when I was at BYU, but knew I needed more experience. After working for myself and others, I decided that I needed to prove it to myself and others that I was up to the rigor and testing of the AG process.

What are some challenging or unique aspects to researching in your area of accreditation?

The Midwest is challenging in different aspects than other areas of research. The region has a diverse amount of records. It also was a melting pot of peoples from around the world. As I research in the region, I may run into records of other languages such as German, French, and Polish. Most official governmental records in the United States are in the English language, but church, fraternal organization and newspapers in the area may have been written in the language of the immigrant. If a researcher is not finding answers in the “traditional” records of the region, turning to these alternative records may provide answers to brick wall problems.

What advice do you have for those pursuing accreditation?

Take the time to familiarize yourself with research in each of the areas or states of your region. Understand the history, migration paths and unique records of the area. Take the time to write up your family research in the area, complete with a written report, research calendars and family group sheets. The more you practice, the more you will feel confident in your abilities and comfortable with the process. Don’t give up. Find a mentor and someone to be accountable to throughout the process. Having that extra push really does make a difference.

What are some of your goals as a genealogist?

I interested in accrediting in Germany and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states, as one of my research specialties is Palatine Germans. I would also like to publish a book or two concerning Palatines, to facilitate the research process for immigrants of this time period.

I would like to expand my business to offering clients a one-on-one experience in the records of their ancestors, whether in the records of the Family History Library or in the archives of their ancestor’s place of origin.

What research projects are you involved with now, or have planned for the future?

I just finished wrapping up research as a genealogist for Season 3 of “Relative Race.” It was exciting to put together my skills as a genealogist and what I have learned about DNA and solve unique research challenges. I can’t tell you exactly what happened, you will have to watch Season 3 to find out…

I would like to expand my record retrieval and research services in Europe to include offering my clients a “Who Do You Think You Are” experience for themselves and their family. I have been successful doing this for several clients, pointing them to living members of their families back in the home country, but would like to add tours of the ancestral sites and give them the experience they see others have only on TV.

Do you have a website you would like to have mentioned?

My website is Lineages by Luana.

When did you receive your accreditation?

I received my accreditation in February of 2017.

Is there anything else you want to let us know about your genealogy experience or activities?

I love being a facilitator in the mentoring process and watch others blossom. My current group is amazing. The genealogical community will have some incredible AGs in the very near future.

I also love being able to present genealogical webinars. These are fantastic resources that I wish would have been available for my education when I first started. We all wish we could attend presentations in person, but what an amazing opportunity to present and to listen to a wide array of lectures from experts around the world.

What motivated you to pursue accreditation?

I have been fascinated by family history and genealogy since I was a very young child. Some of my happiest memories were formed as I learned about my heritage from my parents and grandparents. I studied History at BYU and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and University Honors in 1993. About half of my coursework was in Family History, which had recently been reintroduced as a major field of study. My senior research paper on Mary Jane Dilworth Hammond, a Mormon missionary wife in Hawaii in the mid-1800s, received an award from the History Department for the best paper in Family History for my graduating class. It was then that I began to consider genealogy as a possible career.

Post-graduation, I thought about becoming an accredited genealogist, but the timing just wasn’t right for me. About fourteen years later, I prepared to return to graduate school, but my intended fields of study—History and Library Science—had both been dropped from BYU, which was the closest university to where I lived. Shortly after this, ICAPGen began holding classes to prepare people to become accredited genealogists. I was drawn to the high standards of excellence and preparation involved in achieving the AG® credential, and I liked the focus of specific geographic areas of study. I also rejoiced in the fact that I didn’t need to pay large sums of money for classes or study in a classroom for a set time over a period of years. I could make a plan for success that fit perfectly with my lifestyle as a very busy mother of eight children. After working for nearly a decade (until I felt I was ready), I finished the ICAPGen testing process in December 2016 and received my credential in the United States Gulf South region.

What are some challenging or unique aspects to researching in your area of accreditation?

Southern research has its own unique challenges, from widely changing jurisdictions to extensive record loss in some locations, to slavery, to displaced Native Americans, and others. Many people trace their roots to the south, but then get lost trying to navigate the records. It is very rewarding to help clients break down their brick walls and connect them to their past.

What advice do you have for those pursuing accreditation?

For those pursuing accreditation, my advice is to never give up. The more you study and prepare, the better genealogist you will be—whether you work for clients or just pursue your own family lines. Some of my future goals include adding additional areas of expertise, specifically the United States Mid-South region and England. I was recently elected to the board of directors of the Utah Genealogical Association and look forward to working with such a great team. I also aim to help as many people as possible catch the spirit of family history so they can find as much joy in it as I do.