We’re at the close of the semester. I cannot believe that my internship had gone by so quickly.
I remember being so overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do not only for the internship, but for my other classes I was taking during the semester.
In retrospect, like most semesters, I had over-stressed myself, and created a vacuum of anxiety throughout the hottest months of Florida heat.
However, thanks to the support of my professors and friends, I can say I am ending the semester strong, and am happy to have had this chapter in my life nearly completed.
So, now the question is, what’s next? Well first things first, I have to complete the aforementioned final showcase for the internship, which I may post on this blog, if allowed. I’ll be able to showcase the work done with the HERstory project, and can shine a light on why Women and Gender studies are needed in higher education. Although my words may not have a large impact, I can rest knowing that I did something to benefit the case for these studies that have been under fire in our state.
My next move, I believe, would be a fellowship or some kind of job within the museum circuit here in Orlando. Now that I have the experience of digital archival work and transcribing, I can apply for jobs with more confidence in my ability.
This project also gave me the confidence to finally tell my advisor that I wanted to minor in Judaic Studies. How does this relate to the HERstory project? Well, the women interviewed, whose audio files and transcriptions I had scoured and researched for hours, had one unifying factor: they all encouraged those listening to take the plunge and do something that would make future you happy. From politicians, to archeologists, to scientists who worked on rockets with NASA, they all had nothing but supportive words of encouragement for those who wish to do something different or new with their lives.
So, I took their advice, did my research, and took that plunge. Now, I will be a proud graduate of the University of Central Florida’s College of Arts and Humanities with a major in History and a minor ins Judaic Studies. I love when degrees are a mouthful.
As for the HERstory project, I do hope it will be completed. Maybe not soon, but at one point. I believe more people will benefit from this project. Across all genders, ages, races, etc, these words of these women are nothing short of inspiring. Their stories are so different and interesting and something to be shared.
I hope the project will exist long after I have graduated, as it would be so exciting to see how the project grows and changes with time.
If someone is reading this who is a future member of this project, I would like to say congratulations! You are going to be a part of something so amazing and beneficial to the university and gender studies as a whole! My advice for you would be to take whatever you need out of the experience. If you are there simply for the internship credit, that is okay. I won’t fault you for that, nor will anyone. However, I implore you to take something more. Whether that’s connections, confidence, advice, or what have you, make the experience work for you.
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