This position in tribal historic preservation I have taken on has benefited me in my future career because I have made extremely valuable connections with government agencies, people, and the community I work for. The connections that I have made with this position have allowed me to see what it is like working for a sovereign nation and government and helped me choose what kind of work I want to do in the future.
My position that I held in historic preservation does tie into my field of study, which is Anthropology. I have used many of the teachings from my cultural and biological anthropology classes to help guide me in this position. In order to be successful in this position, some of the educational requirements I think someone would need are English writing and reading comprehension courses, a field course, and courses about understanding humans.
After being in this position, I know that I do like historic preservation because it is a good mix of field work, office work, and engaging with the community. However, I think I would like to be more on the policy side of preservation because many communities are cut short when it comes to preserving important places. I had a previous internship at a local museum when this position opened up to me, so I would say that to keep this position, I have to complete my bachelor’s degree, and learn more about the native community I help. In order for me to pursue the policy side of preservation, it would help if I got a master’s degree in public policy and started to take on more leadership roles outside of work.
One piece of advice that I have for incoming interns is to be open to learning anything when you get into your internship. In my eyes, internships can help you navigate what you can see yourself doing in the future. If you have an opportunity to learn how a whole operation works, you may find something new that you never knew about or solidify what you already know you want to pursue.
The photo is when I was invited to take the deputy secretary of DOI, city, county, and DOD on a field visit of the natives cultural lands and historical sites.
I think your internship experience was so unique among all the others!
It's a blessing to have your internship align with your Anthropology major like that so your "culminating experience" became one that actually feels true to the kind of anthropological work you'd be doing in that career path like that kind of fieldwork and ethnography! Thank you for sharing your experience - I hope others pursue in your footsteps in future semesters :D
I enjoyed reading and learning about your internship at the Historic Preservation. Anthropology is a very interesting major because you get to learn about the rich culture and evolution of different species and environments. That is very exciting to me because you can work in various settings such as outdoors in the field, in research, office settings, or as you stated previously at museums or more recently preservations. I think that the work you do is extremely valuable and important because you are providing protection for historically significant properties. I think that it is great that you were able to impact and build professional relationships throughout the semester that can further your career opportunities. Likewise, at my internship I was able to form a really great bond with other Educational coaches that helped support, which I think is a great experience to be a part of. Additionally, during my internship at UNLV the environment was very familiar and comfortable to be in. Another plus for you is that this internship experience has allowed you to determine which career path you are interested in. Good luck on your academic journey!