Author Archives: Christian Zavisca

Maya Jonsson ’20: GreenFutures

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Name: Maya Jonsson
Class Year: 2020
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Westfield, N.J.

Internship Organization: GreenFutures, The School District of Philadelphia
Job Title: Research and Outreach Intern
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I have been working with GreenFutures, which is the sustainability plan of The School District of Philadelphia. This plan aims to create more sustainable schools and youth who will play a role in creating a more sustainable future. I have had the opportunity to do a variety of work this summer, including writing a GreenFutures newsletter, organizing a science lending library, attending various meetings, and creating a greenscapes guide. The greenscapes guide has been my biggest project, and has entailed researching and designing a resource guide to help Philadelphia schools start their own gardens or other natural, green elements, with information about school policy, maintenance, choosing projects, success stories, and partner organizations.

Why did you apply for this internship?

Along with my political science major, I also have a minor in education, so I initially was really excited about the prospect of working in the School District of Philadelphia and learning more about how school bureaucracy works. Additionally, as I read through the GreenFuture’s website, I realized that so much of this sustainability work — creating greenscapes, reducing energy and consumption, and teaching for sustainability — were all about creating equitable schools and futures. As someone studying policy and education, I was interested in what it looks like to tackle equity from a different angle than I am used to.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

One of my favorite parts of this internship has been interviewing people. A lot of my conversations have been for the greenscapes guide, which has included interviewing teachers who have done gardening with their students. This has been really interesting because I get to hear about what works and doesn’t work in school gardens, what challenges teachers face in integrating them into the curriculum, how gardening can be tied to different subjects, and what students learn. Since I want to be a teacher, I have loved speaking to people who do this work, and it has gotten me really excited about potentially being part of a school garden in the future. Additionally, I have been speaking with partner organizations, such as the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Food Trust, and the Philadelphia Orchard Project, and I have really enjoyed learning about the different groups in Philadelphia doing work with youth and gardening in a variety of ways.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

Early on in my internship I had the opportunity to attend an event with PHENND on Education for Sustainability, which GreenFutures helped to host at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters. During this event, Jamie Cloud, founder of the Cloud Institute, came and spoke to all the attendees about education for sustainability, which, as I learned, is different than education about sustainability, and it includes all academic subjects, as well as ways of teaching that are place based and student centered. I had come into my internship thinking that education for sustainability (EfS) was really just environmental science, which is not something I am personally well versed in, but I learned that it is so much more than that. I want to teach middle school social studies after I graduate, and this internship has gotten me really excited about figuring out how I can integrate EfS benchmarks and practices into my own teaching one day, since I believe this work is vital for the future of our planet and our people.

Margaret O’Hare ’20: Voice of Witness

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Name: Margaret O’Hare
Class Year: 2020
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Hicksville, N.Y.

Internship Organization: Voice of Witness
Job Title: Summer Intern
Location: San Francisco

What’s happening at your internship?

I am fortunate enough to be working for a wonderful nonprofit organization, Voice of Witness, that is focused on uplifting the stories of people who’ve experienced injustice through books of oral history. This summer, Voice of Witness (VOW) is focusing on a variety of projects as they overhaul their mission plan, add new full-time members to their team, and celebrate their 10-year anniversary. As an intern, I’m working under the guidance and instruction of each department head to learn about and help with the projects we’re working on, and I’ve gotten to do some transcription and editing work for some of the upcoming book projects.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because it aligned with my interests and I really believe in the work that VOW is doing. I was able to take my studies from Bryn Mawr (major in Political Science, concentration in Peace, Justice, & Human Rights) and apply them to a work environment while learning more about the things I care about!

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of this internship so far has been getting to work with a group of fantastic, welcoming people who are passionate about the job they do. Learning about the processes that go into creating and publishing their books of oral histories has led me to have a deeper appreciation for their work and for the invaluable stories of the narrators. The full-time staff and the other interns I’m working with are all lovely people who make the experience rewarding. The full-time staff encourages us to make the most of our time in San Francisco and has given us various opportunities to enjoy the city and its different genres of history and storytelling; we participated in storytelling workshops with partner organizations (the Puente Project and the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant), took a walking tour of murals from Precita Eyes Muralists with one of the artists, and went on a “VOW-ting” (Voice of Witness outing) to SFMOMA to see an incredible interactive mural by the artist JR.

Living in a new city? What has that experience been like for you?

I am really enjoying being in San Francisco this summer! I had never been to California before this internship, but I can definitely confirm that the weather and the people are fantastic. I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the city so far and it’s been amazing to learn about the history of a city that’s new to me. I’ve made it to the Golden Gate Bridge, and I plan to visit a few more museums and beaches while I’m here too!

Peyton Moriarty ’21: National Anthropological Archives

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Name: Peyton Moriarty
Class Year: 2021
Major: History
Hometown: Ashburn, Va.

Internship Organization: National Anthropological Archives (NAA), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution
Job Title: Archival Curatorship and Outreach Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.

Reading Room in the National Anthropological Archives

Reading Room in the National Anthropological Archives.

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I’m assisting the NAA in making an exhibit that will appear on the ground floor of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). It’s a rather meta creation of the NAA about the history and practice of anthropology, titled Documenting Diversity: How Anthropologists Record Culture. Though the exhibit won’t open until next year, this summer there’s a wide variety of work involved: from drafting the exhibit script, to researching the collections, to writing blog posts that advertise the objects going on display. The exhibit will reflect the relationships the NAA and its predecessor have had with Indigenous communities, which span over a hundred years. Today, the NAA makes accessible its collections of items such as language records, photo catalogues, and song recordings. The NAA hosts researchers and Indigenous community members from around the world, who can view the collections in its Reading Room.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I declared my History major earlier this year, with the goal of becoming an archivist at the Smithsonian. The stories of history, and the objects and records those stories leave behind, are stunning to me. I enjoy understanding objects far older than myself and linking them to the present day. The opportunity was advertised to me in my BMC email the same day its applications were due — I shoved all my books aside and wrote up a cover letter.

National Museum of Natural History from the fourth floor

National Museum of Natural History from the fourth floor.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

I learned quickly the proper handling of archival documents, how to incorporate primary sources into articles, and how to write academic articles in more approachable, friendly tones. I found that I needed to adapt much of my writing process when it came to writing for public anthropology; though I’m accustomed to writing fiction or personal essays, anthropology requires a very different touch. As an aspiring archivist, all of this experience — particularly in searching for and retrieving archival materials from storage — has been invaluable.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

The sheer variety of projects involved in an exhibit, and the depth of exploration involved in researching in an archive, are incredible. I was given opportunities to directly influence an exhibit that will appear in a national museum, and to research those items so thoroughly that I could present them to passersby when the NAA would cart the items into the museum. Simply existing as a NMNH intern literally opens doors into many of the museum’s collections: this summer, tours were offered of Paleobiology and Fossil Prep, Meteorites, the Insect Zoo, the Living Jellyfish Aqua Room, Marine Mammals and Whales, Rare Books, Birds, Mollusks, Physical Anthropology and Mummies, etc., and each were guided by a passionate expert working in the Smithsonian. Just last week I toured Gems & Minerals, where I held a strip of pure gold the size of an iPhone, felt the chilly conductivity of diamonds, and learned that many classic gem names — aquamarine and emerald, ruby and sapphire — are simply recolors of the same molecular structures, named exotically by gem cutters for better business. Just within the NAA’s own collections is a deluge of beautiful drawings, insightful photographs, and the dedicated work of great anthropologists, all snugly stored in rows upon rows of gray shelves.

Archive Shelves

Archive shelves.

But most of all, I am thankful for my wonderful experience with an archive that has at once enabled me to better understand the profession, to participate in important community-revitalizing work, and to help make something concrete. Come check out Documenting Diversity early next year!

Houda Bouchouari ’22: Massachusetts General Hospital

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Name: Houda Bouchouari
Class Year: 2022
Major: Biology
Hometown: Boston

Internship Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital
Job Title: Research Intern
Location: Boston

What’s happening at your internship?

When I first started, I spent the first 2-3 weeks shadowing an oncologic orthopedic surgeon in his clinic and surgeries, and it was so eye opening. With a bunch of shows on TV like Grey’s Anatomy and House it’s very easy to come up with an idea about doctors. These shows often depict doctors as mean or straightforward and if I’m being completely honest. I thought the same. However, when I first started, I couldn’t have been more wrong, I have met so many kind surgeons, fellows, and residents. Since I started, I have gone from being really nervous to excited about coming into the office every day. On the fourth week I officially began research and that has been really cool. I had to do a bunch of training that will be beneficial for future internships.

Right now I am doing a little bit of everything before I officially start a project with the other research interns. I worked on a chemotherapy, Paget’s disease and a sarcoma project where I basically had to fill out the patient’s information into a spreadsheet that would then go onto other researchers. For example, this past Wednesday I finished a project that was sent to Johns Hopkins for the next step.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied to this internship because I plan on pursuing an MD/PhD and I have experience in research in the Biology Department at Bryn Mawr; however, I had no idea what it was like being a doctor. At times, especially during midterms or finals, I felt like my dream of being a doctor was out of reach for me, and don’t get me wrong, I still feel that way at times, but for some reason this goal feels more realistic after I started this internship. I’m getting closer to figuring out what I want to do with my life and that is because this internship has allowed me to see and experience what it means to have an MD/PhD.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

I don’t know how to explain but I kind of learned how to learn independently, if that makes sense. The research coordinator often throws us something we don’t know how to do and wants us to think about what the goal of the project is in order to clear any confusion. This is probably the biggest and most important skill that I have learned so far. It will definitely be a skill that I carry on to my classes and future endeavors.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?

Nouns: Hope, clarity, and surprise
Adjectives: Amazing, informative, and motivating

Elsa Nierenberg ’21: The Weekly Humorist

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Name: Elsa Nierenberg
Class Year: 2021
Major: English
Hometown: Boxford, Mass.

Internship Organization: The Weekly Humorist
Job Title: Intern
Location: New York City

What’s happening at your internship?

The Weekly Humorist is a satire site, but there’s also a podcast, Talkward, each week and a monthly standup show, Guaranteed Delivery, every month. So, the day-to-day can vary a lot. Any given day can include reading and editing submissions for cartoons and humor pieces, uploading articles with pull-quotes to social media, editing and uploading podcasts, researching materials about sponsors or interview guests, working on production for the standup show, and really anything else in the media-sphere that comes up! For example, one morning last week I drafted a list of interview questions for a podcast with Mike Sacks (author of Poking a Dead Frog, writer for the New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs). Outside of the office I work a lot on my own satire pieces — I’m a contributing writer for five humor sites currently, so I’m always thinking and writing. I submit some of those pieces to The Weekly Humorist, which is another nice way to be tied into the work and mission of the site.

studio

Why did you apply for this internship?

I started performing standup comedy when I was 16-years-old, writing and performing sketch comedy when I was 17, and writing published satire pieces when I was 18. At 20, I produce a standup showcase in Philadelphia, I perform standup in Boston, Philly, and New York most nights, and I write for several humor publications. I also founded Bryn Mawr’s sketch comedy troupe, Spoon-Fed. The truth is, I’ve loved everything comedy since I was 8-years-old and first saw George Carlin’s famous bit, “7 words you can’t say on TV”. Being in New York City this summer and working in the field I’d like to make a living in post-grad was really important to me — both for developing my comedy networks and resume, but also for just further developing myself as an independent human taking on a big new city. As soon as I met Marty (the editor-in-chief) I knew that I wanted to work at The Weekly Humorist. Not only is the content incredible, but the people around me are thoughtful, funny, and talented. I feel like I’m in the space I’m supposed to be this summer!

bulletin board

Living in a new city? What has that experience been like for you?

Between growing up outside of Boston and going to college outside of Philadelphia — both of which I frequent for standup gigs most nights, time with my friends off-campus or away from home, and the occasional visit to an art museum or good burrito spot — I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about navigating a city atmosphere. New York is big, really, really big. And that means that it can feel confusing, overwhelming, and intimidating (especially when in addition to learning the subway, you’re also learning the open-mic and booked standup show scenes, cultures, and spaces). It’s been incredible to be in New York; at the mecca of all of the art and comedy and life I could ever hope to absorb. Confusing at first, lonely occasionally, exciting and alive all hours of the day, warm and welcoming more often than not, and empowering and door-opening all along the way. I’m grateful for the chance to grow my courage muscles and eager to say that after my first week, I realized that the subway is actually pretty easy to use!

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

Having the opportunity to do what I love every day is a huge part of what makes this internship so positive for me, but my favorite part is the wonderfully talented people whom I get to work with, meet and network with, get advice from and bounce ideas off of, and support in their own work in turn. My boss, Marty Dundics, is one of the kindest and most supportive bosses I’ve ever had and the comedians and mentors who he’s connected me to have been warm, welcoming, and nothing short of inspiring. I feel very lucky to be here.

Caroline Soffer ’20: American Friends Service Committee

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Name: Caroline Soffer
Class Year: 2020
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Chevy Chase, Md.

Internship Organization: American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Job Title: Grants and Communications Intern
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer, I’m interning at the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia. AFSC is a social justice oriented nonprofit that oversees programs here in the United States and around the world. It’s been fascinating to learn about the breadth of AFSC’s work, which stretches from fighting for migrant justice at the U.S.-Mexico Border, to advocating for Palestinian rights through both U.S. and international policy.

I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve been able to work with many different departments throughout my time at AFSC. With the Development department, I learned about creating lasting relationships with donors, and what it takes to write a successful grant. The staff at AFSC were incredibly supportive of me when asked if I could write a grant myself, and I was so grateful for their patience, expertise, and helpful edits. My time with the Communications department has felt like a miniature stint in journalism school! I learned about how AFSC chooses to write about their various programs, and how researchers analyze data from social media hits.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied to work at AFSC through Bryn Mawr’s Summer of Service Program. I was looking for an internship that would align with my political science interests. When I applied, I’d just gotten back from working at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. I was looking for something more academic, and thought it would be interesting and different to work at a nonprofit.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My first day at AFSC was particularly memorable! I was nervous and overprepared for my first day — I had chosen my outfit the night before and gathered all my favorite pens and notebooks in preparation. When I arrived, I was set up at my desk, given a laptop, and sent off to set up my email and password. “OK, I thought, so far so good, this is the amount of IT I can handle.”

I was soon called in for an early morning meeting, where the staff told me that there was a surprise waiting afterwards. A surprise? My mind raced to what it could be, or what I had done wrong. Was my password not strong enough? I used numbers and letters!

The surprise turned out to be a party in my honor, to celebrate my first day at AFSC. My boss explained that it was AFSC tradition to dispel first-day nerves and make newcomers feel especially welcome! The whole office gathered around plates of cheese and crackers, grapes, and Oreos. It was such a lovely way to start an internship, and I felt so supported by everyone in the office.

Riya Philip ’20: ‘Missing Microbes’

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Name: Riya Philip
Class Year: 2020
Major: Environmental Studies (Computer Science minor)
Hometown: Mumbai, India

Internship Organization: Missing Microbes (film), Sarah Schenck
Job Title: Post-Production Intern
Location: New York City

Riya Philip

What’s happening at your internship?

Working in New York City this summer on an upcoming film which talks about consequential public health concerns has been extremely rewarding both professionally and emotionally. During these two months, I have been given opportunities to experience the electrifying energy of the city, work with extremely talented filmmakers, and expose myself to an artistic world very different from my own. Sarah Schenck ’87 employed me as her intern to work on producing parts of the film. The documentary, titled Missing Microbes, which is co-produced by Sarah and Steve Lawrence, highlights the injurious influence of antibiotic resistance and C-sections, which are destroying our microbiome and engineering it in negative ways. The feature film also studies how a personalized nutrition program based on microbe analysis can treat diabetes. My role in this internship has been diverse — learning professional editing tools, creating and editing machine-generated transcripts for the interviews from original footage, writing and uploading blog posts, managing and organizing all the data and media associated with the film, coordinating meetings with potential motion graphics companies, and participating in shoots were some of the responsibilities I enjoyed taking on. However, since this is a public health film, the content strictly revolved around medical topics, which allowed me to engage in learning about medical procedures, technologies, new discoveries and the scope of the research conducted by the doctors in this film.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I recently picked up another major last spring, Environmental Studies, due to my passionate interest in the subject, and decided that the next internship I would take on would be related to an environmental issue. I was determined to work on something exciting and relevant to my field of study, yet also beyond the traditional scope of academic subject matter — I was looking for an opportunity that would satisfy both my passion for the content I was learning, and enrich my living experience by exposing me to a completely different facet of life. After browsing through job postings, I came across an opportunity which tied together critical, contemporary foci in public health … in a film. Based on interviews with renowned names in the medical world, and with a prime focus on Dr. Martin Blaser, the author of Missing Microbes and professor of microbiology at NYU, my interest was piqued. The opportunity dealt with crises in health, in particular the overuse of antibiotics in countries like China and India causing antibiotic resistance, the risks associated with cesarean sections, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) treatments as a means to alleviate the symptoms of obesity and autism, among others. The documentary’s central message revolves around the evolving human microbiome, and its significance in treatments for diseases, medical procedures and global health concerns.

Another reason I applied for this internship was because of my background. As an international student from Mumbai with a strict focus in STEM subjects, being able to work on a film was something I didn’t know if I could ever do again in my professional career. I also viewed this summer as an opportunity to build connections with people, experience NYC and explore the scope of my own talents, in skills previously foreign to my knowledge.

Living in a new city? What has that experience been like for you?

In one word? Thrilling. As someone from Mumbai, the Indian equivalent of NYC, Manhattan felt like home since I arrived. I am lucky to have family that lives in the city, which gave me a sense of comfort and security. However, even though my primary work location was in Brooklyn, I decided to live in the cultural hub of historical significance, entertainment, art and soul food — Harlem. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous apartment right above Central Park, with roommates that I have now formed strong friendships with.

The daily commute across the city to work was an hour long each way, yet the experience taught me to become a master subway navigator — a skill you can only learn through practice! I also learned to scout the best locations for authentic food, visited NYC landmarks, went on tours, met people from a plethora of ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, and most importantly, taught myself to become more trusting and open.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

In a nutshell, I have been fortunate enough to grasp several skills — both professional and global in the scope of their applications. Learning to work with a schedule that changes on an almost-daily basis, networking and forming connections with the people producing the film, learning first-hand about the research behind the technologies employed in treatments from the doctors, and most importantly being able to comprehensively synthesize these experiences into something concrete has been advantageous to both my personal and academic outlook on the subjects I study. A special part was the degree of responsibility I was offered within the internship and the trust that followed. I was never treated as just an intern but was instead treated as family and was able to flourish as such. I was given contact with esteemed figures in various industries including public health and film, which has nourished my curiosity even further in these areas. I am also excited to start my independent film project, which will focus on a specific topic in environmental sustainability, as an extension of this internship into the next academic year.

Emma Ruth Burns ’21: Pennsylvania Innocence Project

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Name: Emma Ruth Burns
Class Year: 2021
Major: History
Hometown: Provo, Utah

Internship Organization: Pennsylvania Innocence Project
Job Title: Legal Intern
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I have an internship with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. The Innocence Project is a nonprofit law firm that works to get those who have been wrongfully convicted exonerated. Usually these people are convicted of major crimes and have been in jail for around 15 or 20 years already, and the cases often take from five to 10 years from the time the Innocence Project first receives their petition to when they are fully exonerated.

I work as an assistant to the office manager and attorneys, filing files and stamping stamps, etc. Usually this only takes a couple minutes out of my day, though, and me and the other undergraduate interns switch off days. The rest of the time I spend either at the CJC retrieving and scanning court documents, in the office reading court transcripts to help one of the law school interns with her case, or working on special projects for our paralegal, Michelle.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship for a number of reasons. First off, I’ve been deciding whether or not I want to to to law school when I’m finished at Bryn Mawr and wanted to get a taste of what it’s like to work in a law office. I chose the Innocence Project because I truly respect the work that they do, I wanted to stay in the city this summer, and I liked the structure of their intern program.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

The Innocence Project’s work is inherently rewarding. My favorite part of this internship is when exonerees come into the office. It is fascinating to hear their stories and really hits home that the work that we do is for individuals with lives and families. It is inspiring to see what they are doing now, many of them with skills and experience they gained while incarcerated.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

Last summer I worked as a research assistant, and while I loved the work and thought it was really interesting, I didn’t like that it was largely on my own. My internship at the Innocence Project is very social, which I didn’t expect. There are a number of other interns and there are always things going on downtown after we get out. It’s been an unexpected joy having coworkers who are so much fun!

Sean Keenan ’20: American Philosophical Society

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Name: Sean Keenan
Class Year: 2020
Major: History
Hometown: Brielle, N.J.

Internship Organization: American Philosophical Society
Job Title: Museum Intern
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I’m helping to curate an exhibition on “Benjamin Franklin and Science” at the American Philosophical Society museum. My research focuses on his Maritime experiments, one of his many expansive interests as a natural philosopher. I also dabble into his writings on “elephant” bones, which were found in Ohio (what is now Big Bone Lick, Kentucky) and how these newly discovered Mammoths fit into these early age scientists’ knowledge over the world they live in. A lot of the work I do involves secondary research on Franklin and going into the APS archives to look over Franklin and his colleague’s correspondence in order to weave his story into an exhibition.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because of my desire to get to know the different aspects of the GLAM (Gallery, Library, Archive, and Museum) world. I have had prior experience working in archives and rare books but curating an exhibition in person was going to be a new experience for me. I figured that this would be an excellent opportunity to talk to professionals in the field and also understand the process of creating an exhibition.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

One of the most important skills that I’m learning during my time at the APS involves the ability to go through a variety of primary sources and help determine which will be good for the exhibition. It’s about pairing the objects together in a way that makes sense for the exhibition and asking what type of story we want to tell about Franklin and his experimentation. Who were the people around him that were helping him? How much of his knowledge and labor that came from other people was acknowledged? What about his life inspired him to experiment and invent? This is my first time helping to put an exhibition together. These skills will be helpful to me as I figure out my place in the world after Bryn Mawr.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

I would have to say one of the most rewarding parts of my internship is the connections I am able to make with my coworkers and other GLAM workers in the field. Having this internship in Philadelphia has afforded me the confidence to talk to not only my coworkers, but others in the GLAM field about their experiences. As I enter my senior year, this advice becomes priceless in my search to find what I want to do after graduation. I feel very fortunate to have the people around me that I do. I get a lot of support from the staff at the APS and it’s one of the reasons I really have enjoyed my time here so much.

Laney Myers ’20: National Museum of Natural History

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Name: Laney Myers
Class Year: 2020
Major: History
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Internship Organization: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Job Title: Archival Curatorship and Outreach Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.

archive photo

Outreach program displaying a Kiowa pictorial calendar by Silver Horn from the National Anthropological Archive.

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I’ve been working at the National Anthropological Archives (NAA), assisting with an exhibition set to open at the National Museum of Natural History in February 2020, called Documenting Diversity: How Anthropologists Record Culture. The exhibit will be tiny, housed in just two cases on the ground floor of the Natural History Building. Nestled between an Info Desk and a huge display of taxidermied birds, the space is supposed to get 18 million visitors (or passers-by) per year.

The exhibit itself requires a lot of research, so I’ve been working my way through the archival materials we hope to feature, choosing documents and illustrations that are interesting and support the narrative we’re going for. The other part of my job is outreach — public programming in the museum’s education center (shown in picture!) and writing blog posts to roll out on the Smithsonian Libraries blog. I’m also helping out in the archives, learning a lot about reference and how archives work.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I was looking for experience in libraries and/or archives. This internship was perfect because of the focus on Native American history and the opportunity for reckoning with the legacies of colonialism in the archive.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

My internship is a LILAC Partnership that was arranged by Dr. Monique Scott in the Museum Studies Department!

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

There are several projects and programs dedicated to improving access to the archives for Indigenous communities, to whom the cultural objects in the collections belong. The Recovering Voices program seeks to address the loss of cultural knowledge and promote collaborative knowledge-production by inviting community groups to D.C. to research material objects and engage with the catalog. It feels like an important concrete step to repatriation, or at least making things stored in historically colonial collections beneficial to the groups to whom they belong.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

It’s really empowering to be able to learn to work independently in an archives. Archives are notoriously confusing, opaque or intimidating places, which have a lot of rules that don’t always make sense, and which feel inaccessible and mysterious to the public, researchers and non-researchers alike. Working here has helped me realize that archivists are not barriers to knowledge, they’re the key!