Join us as we continue to hear from our students who were interning this past spring! Both graduate and undergraduate student worked in the field of historical spaces in a variety of capacities. This blog post is authored by History MA and BA student, Alex Eckhart, as she reflects upon her experience interning at Wood County Museum, where she helped build the America 250 programming and exhibit. You can learn more about this specific exhibit and other wonderful historical programming at https://woodcountyhistory.org/visit/
Going into this internship, I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted hands-on experience in public history, a deeper understanding of how exhibits are created, and the chance to contribute something tangible to a museum space. Looking back, I can say that I mostly met those goals, but the reality of the process was far more complicated (and ultimately more valuable) than I expected. There were definitely moments where I felt like I was falling behind. With only eight hours a week to dedicate to the internship, time always felt compressed. Just as I would get into a rhythm with a project, the day would end, and I’d have to pick it back up days later. That stop-and-start structure made it harder to maintain momentum, and at times I had to work extra hard just to catch up to where I felt I should be.
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