Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI
Major and class standing: Art History and Visual Culture, Senior
Where you interned: MSU College of Arts & Letters
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
As a Student Information Tech Assistant, I was responsible for helping with a number of projects including photo editing, data transcription, and creation of a photography archive.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I originally worked with my supervisor on a study abroad trip photographing artifacts and was hired as a student assistant to complete the editing process. After working with him for three semesters, I was encouraged to enroll in the Arts & Letters Internship course in order to complete my degree path(s) internship requirement.
What did your daily routine include?
I either worked remotely or in the office (Linton Hall) to transcribe information from a collection of 35mm slides as well as research the subject matter to ensure the information to be included within the digital archive was accurate and up to date.
Your favorite experience from the internship?
Within my internship, I enjoyed working with my colleagues and my supervisor to incorporate technology into archaeological research. It was very fulfilling to work on a project where I personally know the creator of these images and that the archive can be used as comparative data for future students and researchers.
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
Technological issues that occurred were my least favorite part to deal with, especially as someone who primarily studies material culture, troubleshooting digital issues is something I try to avoid as much as possible.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
My problem-solving skills evolved a lot during this experience since I was responsible for getting my research done before other student interns were able to upload the information to the archive. I had to be able to quickly solve issues that arose and prevent workflow issues.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
While this internship was not directly related to my aspirations as an archaeologist, it reminded me that archaeology is a very interdisciplinary field that requires many skills working together. In the future, I hope to go to graduate school to study Classical archaeology with a focus on Greek ceramics.
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
My best advice would be to network and build connections with your professors or department staff. Professors often have ongoing research that they may need help with, so if there’s a professor who studies a topic you’re interested in, try reaching out
