This brought me to tears, seeing someone so passionate about museums and the importance they hold for us as a species. I can only hope one day I find my niche, preferably somewhere like the Smithsonian! I guess its time to call my local Natural History museum and see if they need any more volunteers... :)
It's encouraging to know that an intelligent, curious, articulate, and skilled young person is helping protect and display objects of national importance. She has a great mindset and a positive attitude. Thanks for sharing.
This is one of the most nourishing things ever. Just two very enthusiastic people being enthusiastic about making. Great! Also, she reminds me of Rebecca Sugar so much, another enthusiastic maker.
Thank you Adam and the Tested crew for showing this Video. I have just lately found this channel and the passion and excitement for everything I have watched so far, has reinvigorated me to get back to something that has been put on the back burner for a while. The interview with the young lady was a pure joy to watch to see the excitement and the humility. That was one of the most inspiring shows I have watched in a long time. Well done and congrats to all involved.
Being a good communicator is essential in getting any good job and being happy in that job. Too few people seem to be able to communicate. Speaking with confidence and speaking clearly is so important, it is a shame it doesnt seem to be taught.
I just got accepted to Warren Wilson College, the same college that Willow Collins graduated from! As a black femme, it brings me joy to see Willow working her dream job with passion, creativity, and know how. Willow, from the bottom of my heart, *thank you* for representing us black girls! ✊🏽❤️
Watching these vids of the Smithsonian makes me realise how lucky I am, doing this exact kind of work, but in a smaller Museum, being able to work as a restorer, with thousands of museum objects, preserving and restoring these objects and making mounts for exhibits or transport. From tiny to really meters long objects, and made from wood to precious metals, ceramics or even human bone. Starting as a traditional model maker when I was 21 in 1988, when everything was done old school, now in my 50s I have been through the digital age of modelmaking and restoring museum objects, also with the help of with 3D scanning and printing, Also being likeminded SciFi nerd, and being a proud member of the R2Builders club, I also made many R2D2's and C3PO, and all kinds of SciFi props and models I never thought I could have so much fun doing my job, and I can say, I really am one of the few lucky people who made their job out of their hobby :) Thanks you Adam for showing this behind the scenes look, so I know there are more lucky likeminded enthusiastic nutcases like me :)
I enjoy listening to people who are passionate for what they do... what a bright young woman, and so passionate for her craft... I know this isn't the last we'll hear of her
Adam is such a gem, he gets genuinely excited when he sees people who enjoy what they do, yet he's the one who has inspired most of us to even consider what we do. Such a living legend
It has been said that everyone who works there truly believes in the Smithsonian's mission but I can't remember the last time I've been this impressed by someone's sincerity and passion. By doing, Willow Collins exemplifies what making is all about.
Very well spoken and a great example of passion and the pursuit of one's dream. Got to work with Thomas Jefferson's desk but did not seem to have a clue who Kojak was.
@@kylejscheffler Is there scuttlebutt about Norm moving on? Otherwise, no one could really replace Norm. Willow is rather charming but who can out-nerd Norm? I'm willing to be surprised-- but I mentioned it because she struck me as being ideal "Tested" material. I mean... she's already got a dream job.
I assume the table she mentioned was taken with Jefferson to France as he was their US ambassador at the time the constitution was written. He was of course in correspondence with members of the convention at the time but James Madison was the author of the US constitution.
This is the high point of my day! Thanks Adam for the insightful questions and for sharing Willow and her work with us, I'm deeply touched. I'm now a Willow Collins fan!
Watching this has left me with a grin plastered on my face that I suspect will last all day. I can only imagine their conversation left Adam in much the same state.
@@CoercedJab what sets her apart is her age, being the youngest one there right now. The kinda drive needed to make that happen is certainly above average and will very advantageous for whatever goals she sets for herself.
Nice Kid I'm sure she'll go far. BTW: TJ had nothing to do with writing Constitution as he was embassador to France at the time. Did write the first draft of Declaration of Independence though. Knowing history is constantly learning it.
The Smithsonian must love her. I would imagine a lot of people doing this kind of work aren't so extroverted and comfortable in front of a camera. If Adam Savage showed up to my job with a camera crew and wanted to talk to me, I wouldn't be nearly as eloquent as Willow. If you listen to her speak you'll notice she doesn't use any filler words (um, ah, like, etc). That''s impressive. I think I heard one "ah." Public speaking is one of those skills they don't really teach in school, but they should. I was in Toastmasters for a while and I always had a hard time getting rid of my filler words.
Very inspirational, and will be shared with my daughters (who are under 10) as an example of someone who followed their dreams. thank you Adam for bring us this story and willow for the work you do, we all appreciate and value the work you do.
This series is amazing... Adam makes me more ambitious in my trivial little interests.... and this part with Willow was great, this young lady will go far. The Smithsonian should be proud to have representatives like her.
Adam, not to tell you how to do your job, but Willow is an absolute natural at science communication, and could be a great fit at Tested. I'm sure we would all love to see her in the shop! Between Simone and Willow, you seem to be accumulating a group of super talented, engaged and entertaining young makers!
Damn willow is going to go far, she's just got that tenacious love to accomplish anything she desires. She's going to be running that workshop before long.
Please invest in some steady cam solution (maybe make one as a one day build) or teach your cameraman how to hold camera. It's painful to listen to these great stories with visuals from Blair witch project.
So when does Willow get her own show on Tested? We have Norm and Frank talking about new pieces of art and modern history, it would be awesome to see the same treatment for older pieces of history.
Please wish Willow every success - she exudes the level of joy that drives the love of life and work. I would hope it’s as much a pleasure to work with her as it was to meet her through Adam’s eyes.
I do remember this series of videos from the original airing and had not seen it since. Am I glad they showed up in my recommended videos these many months later? 100% yes!
@@kahvakuula8050 are we still living in the dark ages? I know It's a remnant tradition from when woman were valued by appearance and how high they could marry. Age has a strong correlation with decrease in physical attractiveness. But are we still that shallow, are you still that antique? I'm glad we've shed off that tradition and a woman's physical appearance is now a non-consideration in the mating process. Or are you one of those antique romantic old school fools? I find this whole forbidden question thing so weird and antiquated. I don't care if someone asks me how old I am, how much I earn, how much I weigh, or whatever. Maybe there are some truly personal things like, what do you think about when you masturbate (Scarlett Johanson perhaps?) but these common taboos are frankly ridiculous especially as most can be estimated fairly accurately most of the time. Stop being such a prude old timer and get with the times will ya.
@@Lalaland.001 Lalaland haha..I guess I am antique romantic old school fool just a little bit because I would hesitate or try to be as polite as possible when asking age..but I also agree that its rather silly tradition from past to nowadays. Dont you think Adam would be old school fool too?
@@kahvakuula8050 nope, I think he was actually way too excited to ask the more nerdy and important questions of his maker mind. Adam is actually a really progressive thinker otherwise he would be dea in the water in his line of work. Tha's my best educated guess after having followed the man passionately for over 2 decades.
Hey Adam (and Willow!), you've done it once again with the whole inspiring-young-people thing. I'm majoring in engineering probably because my whole childhood was full of Mythbusters and I wanted *your* job, but I've been sort of struggling recently with what I actually want to Do with an engineering degree out in the Real World. Designing exhibits for museums is not something I'd ever even heard about before as a career path before, but listening to Willow talk about her work really gave me a sense of "I Want To Do That" that I haven't felt about a lot of other "engineering jobs", so thank you for introducing all of us to Willow and giving me something to look into and maybe possibly make a real career out of.
Now that’s someone who will love her job until she retires. As a 45 year old, in a job that I’ve been doing for 25 years..... I so wish I was the same. Don’t get me wrong, I ‘like’ my job, but still don’t think I ‘love’ it. Just got stuck in a rut and went with it.
Wow she exudes such a lot of positivity and passion for her work. Really inspiring to see. I so agree that any job experience is made better by having great people around you. Best of luck for your future, you will be awesome at it!
Of all the Smithsonian interviews that Adam has released this week, this is the one that hit home emotionally. It is great to see the respect that experienced maker Adam has for someone at the beginning of her maker journey. This was a wonderful interview. Thanks for sharing it.
Her intense vibrancy and passionate drive are wonderful, she seems to be the kind person that you immediately feel at ease with and are able to accept as a friend without hesitation.
I love when Adam gets too excited and covers his mouth at 7:20. Not only is Willow talking to someone astounding, so is Adam! It's great to see the easy enthusiasm still present in someone who seems like an old pro (and is a hero to many). Willow is also killing it with the communication! Two goals idols on screen at once be still my heart.
Her passion and enthusiasm for this work is inspiring!
Adam, you were speaking with the Smithsonian's 'future' Head of Exhibits, at the very least. Go Willow.
Thats true.
She's a natural recruiter for the Smithsonian. What great enthusiasm and joy in her art and work.
LOL That opening shot of Adam staring intently at a spacesuit, while wearing his spacesuit, was perfect.
This brought me to tears, seeing someone so passionate about museums and the importance they hold for us as a species. I can only hope one day I find my niche, preferably somewhere like the Smithsonian! I guess its time to call my local Natural History museum and see if they need any more volunteers... :)
It's encouraging to know that an intelligent, curious, articulate, and skilled young person is helping protect and display objects of national importance. She has a great mindset and a positive attitude. Thanks for sharing.
Willow is so well spoken and passionate about the work. What an amazing representative for the maker community.
I'm 56 and she makes me want to quit my job and start working on what I love. I was a "maker" before the term was coined... I love her enthusiasm!
Stuart Kynoch do it
I can totally see Adam working for a museum if he ever retires. Will give screaming “It belongs in a museum!” more gravitas too.
Totally agree, only one issue, I don't see him ever retiring :)
This is one of the most nourishing things ever. Just two very enthusiastic people being enthusiastic about making. Great!
Also, she reminds me of Rebecca Sugar so much, another enthusiastic maker.
Thank you Adam and the Tested crew for showing this Video. I have just lately found this channel and the passion and excitement for everything I have watched so far, has reinvigorated me to get back to something that has been put on the back burner for a while. The interview with the young lady was a pure joy to watch to see the excitement and the humility. That was one of the most inspiring shows I have watched in a long time. Well done and congrats to all involved.
It's great to see someone with such infectious enthusiasm.
Being a good communicator is essential in getting any good job and being happy in that job. Too few people seem to be able to communicate. Speaking with confidence and speaking clearly is so important, it is a shame it doesnt seem to be taught.
Any books to read that help with that?
You can teach someone to communicate, but being a communicator is a natural talent.
I just got accepted to Warren Wilson College, the same college that Willow Collins graduated from! As a black femme, it brings me joy to see Willow working her dream job with passion, creativity, and know how. Willow, from the bottom of my heart, *thank you* for representing us black girls! ✊🏽❤️
Give her a job on tested.com as a contributor!!
Seriously! She's so poised and good at communicating her world/brand of "making", it would be a perfect fit.
9:13 Sometimes, you just need a Mjölnir for the job.
good catch. incredible
Just stuck on the shelf like it's just another tool.
Saw that in back...
Meow-Meow you mean?
Whats a mjölnir?
Watching these vids of the Smithsonian makes me realise how lucky I am, doing this exact kind of work, but in a smaller Museum, being able to work as a restorer, with thousands of museum objects, preserving and restoring these objects and making mounts for exhibits or transport.
From tiny to really meters long objects, and made from wood to precious metals, ceramics or even human bone.
Starting as a traditional model maker when I was 21 in 1988, when everything was done old school, now in my 50s I have been through the digital age of modelmaking and restoring museum objects, also with the help of with 3D scanning and printing,
Also being likeminded SciFi nerd, and being a proud member of the R2Builders club, I also made many R2D2's and C3PO, and all kinds of SciFi props and models
I never thought I could have so much fun doing my job, and I can say, I really am one of the few lucky people who made their job out of their hobby :)
Thanks you Adam for showing this behind the scenes look, so I know there are more lucky likeminded enthusiastic nutcases like me :)
That's beautiful. Thanks
@@valoriel4464 thats beautiful
It would seem that 3D printing and scanning are not so much disruptive technologies but beneficial technology for maker's and museums.
I enjoy listening to people who are passionate for what they do... what a bright young woman, and so passionate for her craft... I know this isn't the last we'll hear of her
What an amazing young woman. Thanks so much for sharing her story with us!
Wow! She was Overwhelmingly articulate!!
What an absolute badass.
Adam is such a gem, he gets genuinely excited when he sees people who enjoy what they do, yet he's the one who has inspired most of us to even consider what we do. Such a living legend
Willow is just awesome! Thanks for letting us meet her, Adam. Love seeing all the hidden talent behind the institution.
It has been said that everyone who works there truly believes in the Smithsonian's mission but I can't remember the last time I've been this impressed by someone's sincerity and passion. By doing, Willow Collins exemplifies what making is all about.
I enjoyed seeing the tech in the other videos in this series - but this one had me hooked!
Very well spoken and a great example of passion and the pursuit of one's dream. Got to work with Thomas Jefferson's desk but did not seem to have a clue who Kojak was.
She is a gem. What a national treasure.
Seeing young people like Willow gives me hope for our furure. : ) btw Now I want to see Adam make Kojack's wallet in a ODB vid. : ) So obscure!
What a wonderful, articulate young lady. She has a great future with her attitude. 👏👏
Wow. What an extraordinary young woman. Gives me hope for tomorrow.
I wonder if there's a slot coming up for anything at Tested.... ?
Can she replace Norm?
@@kylejscheffler Is there scuttlebutt about Norm moving on? Otherwise, no one could really replace Norm. Willow is rather charming but who can out-nerd Norm? I'm willing to be surprised-- but I mentioned it because she struck me as being ideal "Tested" material. I mean... she's already got a dream job.
The more I watch Adam and other Tested videos, the more I want to be a model maker 😬
I assume the table she mentioned was taken with Jefferson to France as he was their US ambassador at the time the constitution was written. He was of course in correspondence with members of the convention at the time but James Madison was the author of the US constitution.
The exact opposite of a certain person in public office. A young women who is both intelligent and articulate.
What does this video have to do with the economy doing so well?
It's sad you have to bring politics into this 😭
On the contrary I think she will do quite well. Wait, you meant this as in insult?
There is hope for America with people like this in the workplace.
Awe, that was awesome! Thank you for sharing this with us Adam! Peace and Good Fortune to you both.
She's so lucky/skilled enough to be there. And Adam, there's so little left of your ginger! Virtually pure snow White these days!
Kojak's wallet is worth more if it comes with a Players Club card.
Best job EVER!
It’s just me, or she has a very beautiful voice!!!?? 😳😳😳😳😊
This is the high point of my day! Thanks Adam for the insightful questions and for sharing Willow and her work with us, I'm deeply touched. I'm now a Willow Collins fan!
Would love to see how Thor’s hammer on that back shelf/rack gets used in the shop!
whats up with that voiceover Aat the beggining? that shit sounded like someone doing an Adam impersonation looool
Watching this has left me with a grin plastered on my face that I suspect will last all day. I can only imagine their conversation left Adam in much the same state.
The intro voiceover almost sounds like its someone impersonating adam
Smithsonian should do a behind the scenes series with her hosting, talking about various topics involved with preparing an artifact for display.
Willow: "Who's Kojak?" Joking aside, what an awesome young woman! I wish I had that drive in high school.
Honestly though: who's Kojak?
@@JanTuts www.imdb.com/title/tt0069599/
@@JanTuts A detective character from a TV show in the 70's.
"Who loves ya baby?" - Kojak
@@joshua.snyder Aha :)
Would have liked to have seen some of the work, not just chat
Tested needs to scoop her up somehow. If you're in the making business, this is exactly the kind of person I would want working for me.
She seems like one of those lucky few people that find their calling in life at a young age. I can see why they hired her.
A very fortunate person doing work that she is passionate about. It can not get much better.
She's great!
She's incredible. What passion.
Man, I enjoy seeing two passionate people like these two interact!
Brilliant human being! 🤓👍
anyone else spot thors hammer in the tool rack behind her,
guess who is going to be running that department in 20 years time
Do you think she's the only intelligent, passionate, skilled person working there..?
@@CoercedJab what sets her apart is her age, being the youngest one there right now. The kinda drive needed to make that happen is certainly above average and will very advantageous for whatever goals she sets for herself.
Does anyone know were the hell does Adam buy those amazing NASA jackets?
Yes! alworden.com/jacket.htm
Looks like Exhibits keeps their own Mjolnir in the model making area...
(in the lower cubby of the wooden organizer in the background.)
Nice Kid I'm sure she'll go far. BTW: TJ had nothing to do with writing Constitution as he was embassador to France at the time. Did write the first draft of Declaration of Independence though. Knowing history is constantly learning it.
Bless the Maker and His water.
Bless the coming and going of Him.
May His passage cleanse the world.
May He keep the world for His people.
The Smithsonian must love her. I would imagine a lot of people doing this kind of work aren't so extroverted and comfortable in front of a camera. If Adam Savage showed up to my job with a camera crew and wanted to talk to me, I wouldn't be nearly as eloquent as Willow. If you listen to her speak you'll notice she doesn't use any filler words (um, ah, like, etc). That''s impressive. I think I heard one "ah." Public speaking is one of those skills they don't really teach in school, but they should. I was in Toastmasters for a while and I always had a hard time getting rid of my filler words.
Intelligence, eloquence, passion...I hope this opportunity to meet with Adam opens up even more doors in her life!
We all need a Willow in our lives.
Very inspirational, and will be shared with my daughters (who are under 10) as an example of someone who followed their dreams. thank you Adam for bring us this story and willow for the work you do, we all appreciate and value the work you do.
This series is amazing... Adam makes me more ambitious in my trivial little interests.... and this part with Willow was great, this young lady will go far. The Smithsonian should be proud to have representatives like her.
Adam, not to tell you how to do your job, but Willow is an absolute natural at science communication, and could be a great fit at Tested. I'm sure we would all love to see her in the shop! Between Simone and Willow, you seem to be accumulating a group of super talented, engaged and entertaining young makers!
Damn willow is going to go far, she's just got that tenacious love to accomplish anything she desires. She's going to be running that workshop before long.
Please invest in some steady cam solution (maybe make one as a one day build) or teach your cameraman how to hold camera. It's painful to listen to these great stories with visuals from Blair witch project.
She speaks almost as if she’s scripted. How amazingly acute
So when does Willow get her own show on Tested? We have Norm and Frank talking about new pieces of art and modern history, it would be awesome to see the same treatment for older pieces of history.
Please wish Willow every success - she exudes the level of joy that drives the love of life and work. I would hope it’s as much a pleasure to work with her as it was to meet her through Adam’s eyes.
I do remember this series of videos from the original airing and had not seen it since. Am I glad they showed up in my recommended videos these many months later? 100% yes!
Anybody who has ever said that RUclips is stupid should watch this video and shut the f..k up forever!
What a lovely, bright young woman. Her passion is right there on the screen.
I want to be Willow when I grow up. I'm an exhibits intern now at age 23. Here's hoping
Kojak's wallet? Random!
You are an awesome person, Willow! Mad respect.
Look how old he is now! And he looks so much older in comparison to the young person next to him. Poor old guy.
Was that... Thor's hammer behind them in the rack?
Impressive young lady.
It might to see a model builder from the other side of the fence
So how old is this youngest maker? Would be nice to know...
But its rude to ask age from women
@@kahvakuula8050 are we still living in the dark ages? I know It's a remnant tradition from when woman were valued by appearance and how high they could marry. Age has a strong correlation with decrease in physical attractiveness. But are we still that shallow, are you still that antique? I'm glad we've shed off that tradition and a woman's physical appearance is now a non-consideration in the mating process. Or are you one of those antique romantic old school fools? I find this whole forbidden question thing so weird and antiquated. I don't care if someone asks me how old I am, how much I earn, how much I weigh, or whatever. Maybe there are some truly personal things like, what do you think about when you masturbate (Scarlett Johanson perhaps?) but these common taboos are frankly ridiculous especially as most can be estimated fairly accurately most of the time. Stop being such a prude old timer and get with the times will ya.
@@Lalaland.001 Lalaland haha..I guess I am antique romantic old school fool just a little bit because I would hesitate or try to be as polite as possible when asking age..but I also agree that its rather silly tradition from past to nowadays. Dont you think Adam would be old school fool too?
@@kahvakuula8050 nope, I think he was actually way too excited to ask the more nerdy and important questions of his maker mind. Adam is actually a really progressive thinker otherwise he would be dea in the water in his line of work. Tha's my best educated guess after having followed the man passionately for over 2 decades.
Hey Adam (and Willow!), you've done it once again with the whole inspiring-young-people thing. I'm majoring in engineering probably because my whole childhood was full of Mythbusters and I wanted *your* job, but I've been sort of struggling recently with what I actually want to Do with an engineering degree out in the Real World. Designing exhibits for museums is not something I'd ever even heard about before as a career path before, but listening to Willow talk about her work really gave me a sense of "I Want To Do That" that I haven't felt about a lot of other "engineering jobs", so thank you for introducing all of us to Willow and giving me something to look into and maybe possibly make a real career out of.
Adam was incisive in letting her talk
Now that’s someone who will love her job until she retires.
As a 45 year old, in a job that I’ve been doing for 25 years..... I so wish I was the same. Don’t get me wrong, I ‘like’ my job, but still don’t think I ‘love’ it. Just got stuck in a rut and went with it.
We need an entire channel of Willow and her work behind the Smithsonian! She's got a great personality for the camera!
Wow, what an amazing, well educated young person. So nice to hear someone using the English language with such eloquence. The future is bright....
Awesome interview brilliant young lady , anyone see the big Thor hammer in the back on the shelf ?
give Willow their own show!!
They never even said how old she was?
What an awesome spokesperson for her field! Her passion and reverence for the artifacts really comes through in the way she speaks about them.
Wow she exudes such a lot of positivity and passion for her work. Really inspiring to see.
I so agree that any job experience is made better by having great people around you.
Best of luck for your future, you will be awesome at it!
Of all the Smithsonian interviews that Adam has released this week, this is the one that hit home emotionally. It is great to see the respect that experienced maker Adam has for someone at the beginning of her maker journey. This was a wonderful interview. Thanks for sharing it.
Every museum needs an Emily Graslie. Perhaps Willow will be that person in the Smithsonian's future.
what an amazing young woman!
Her intense vibrancy and passionate drive are wonderful, she seems to be the kind person that you immediately feel at ease with and are able to accept as a friend without hesitation.
I wish I was as cool as Willow.
“ .........The people make the difference........”
I love when Adam gets too excited and covers his mouth at 7:20. Not only is Willow talking to someone astounding, so is Adam! It's great to see the easy enthusiasm still present in someone who seems like an old pro (and is a hero to many). Willow is also killing it with the communication! Two goals idols on screen at once be still my heart.