Working as the cultural resource intern for Friends of Historic Huntley has been a truly enjoyable way to spend this summer! In just a few short months I have become very attached to the house—so much so that I find myself constantly regaling friends with tales of how special and interesting the house is.

Although I focused on American history throughout graduate school, this is the first time in a long while that I have been able to work in an environment and put my academic training to use outside the university. As an undergraduate I trained to be a social science teacher and have missed the opportunity to plan lessons and think like an educator. Working with Geoff Cohr at Huntley Meadows Park to expand the docent manual, designing school programs on Thomson F. Mason and his family and another on the African American experience in the area, and brainstorming other exciting programs for the upcoming year has been an invaluable experience.

Learning about the mysteries of Historic Huntley, being a part of its public debut, and helping to write school programs has given me valuable experience that will be useful as I continue in the Ph.D. program at George Mason University. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do such interesting work and would like to express a big thank you to everyone at Huntley Meadows Park and Friends of Historic Huntley for being incredibly friendly and welcoming. I look forward to helping out at Huntley as a volunteer and to the parks’ continued success!