Internships with Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Provide Valuable Experience for Niagara University Students

When Dr. Hope Russell, an adjunct professor in Niagara University's history department, joined the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in July 2023 as its director of education and interpretive planning and historian, one of the first things she did was develop an internship program for Niagara University students.

"The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is engaged in a variety of initiatives that offer many opportunities for our students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world projects which not only highlight the rich history and heritage of the Niagara Falls area but, in keeping with Niagara University's Vincentian tradition, also improve the quality of life for its residents," she said.

With its focus on historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational projects, NFNHA internships appeal to students in several majors.

Preston Bartels, a senior history and religious studies major from Niagara Falls, applied for the internship opportunity because he wanted to help construct Niagara Falls historiography and make a difference in his community.

Both his majors have equipped him to work on projects that focus on local religious communities, including underrepresented groups such as Sikhs and Muslims, and add to their stories through interviews and research. The skills he is developing through these projects will help him as he plans for graduate school, he said.

"This internship has given me the time to develop my research and writing skills, which are crucial in a graduate program," he said, noting he plans to earn a Ph.D. with the intention of becoming a history professor. "My ability to search for sources and material, through practice in local history, has significantly improved. This opportunity has made me ever more passionate about local history and secure in my decisions for my future."

Daniella Ray Vaquero, a junior history major with a public history minor from Buffalo, N.Y., is helping to create research files on local people and events that have shaped the City of Niagara Falls and writing stories that are available through Autio, a road-trip app designed to bring history to life through narrated stories of the people, places, and events that are unique to a specific area. She hopes to become a professor and work in museums, she said, and this opportunity is giving her valuable experience toward those goals.

"This internship has allowed me to get into the work I have always dreamed about," she said. "I enjoy creating the research files for Dr. Russell because I am helping her create a well-rounded piece that speaks truthfully to the person and events. I also like learning more about people, places, and events that aren't often discussed in history textbooks and aren't a focal point in social studies classes."

One of the projects Becca Mansfield worked on was assisting with the curation of the Polly King exhibition, currently on display at Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum. The senior art history and museum studies major from Liverpool, N.Y., notes that her knowledge of art, artists, and the behind-the-scenes museum processes such as how to care for old documents and write effective and informative labels or wall text for exhibitions helped her as she researched and documented information about King and Prophet Isaiah Robertson, another local artist.

"Being able to see how they both can live on so strongly and vibrantly through their artworks, despite having passed away before I ever would have met them, is so inspiring and incredible to see," she said.

While she enjoyed curating exhibitions and doing hands-on work in the gallery spaces, Mansfield also appreciated the other responsibilities she had, such as researching and writing Autio stories, because they have prepared her for an array of jobs within the museum field.

"The wide variety of experiences I've been granted has helped me to cultivate a lot of useful skills, so I feel more confident in my own abilities and knowledge, and I can definitely carry what I've learned into future jobs and career opportunities," she said.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.