Beyond the Books: Three AU Students Travel Back in Time With Historical National Park Internships

This summer, three Augustana students interned at national parks - caring for the nation's natural and cultural resources while gaining hands-on conservation experience. Kaitlyn Crawford '26, Ian Kelly '26 and Emma Ostwinkle '25 spent their summers across the country applying what they've learned in AU classrooms to real-world experiences with the National Park Service.

Kaitlyn Crawford '26

Crawford is a history and secondary education double major from Aberdeen, South Dakota. She served as a youth engagement intern with Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi.

Q: What are your career goals/aspirations?

A: I would like to be a sixth-grade social studies teacher. As the period between elementary and middle school can be rough, I hope that by employing security and stability in the classroom, we can increase positive outcomes for youth.

Q: What did your job duties include?

A: I was able to work with understanding and forward-thinking staff to create inclusive and meaningful lesson plans for a diverse selection of youth. In addition, I was able to engage with community partners to increase attention to the research efforts at Vicksburg.

Q: What did you enjoy most about your internship?

A: I enjoyed the comparative analysis of differing socioeconomic landscapes as it pertains to the ways in which educators interact with their peers, partners and pupils. The community that I met, from law enforcement and local residents to local politicians and teachers, are also relationships that I will carry with me for a lifetime.

Q: What did you learn/gain from the internship?

A: I found great personal and professional development as I utilized an inner sense of resiliency to adapt to a new landscape. In addition, the community connections that I forged in Vicksburg will help me grow into a more understanding and knowledgeable teacher.

Ian Kelly '26

Kelly, of Sioux Falls, is a history, economics and government & international affairs triple major and served as a cultural resources intern with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Q: What did your job duties include?

A: My main duties, although I sort of did lots of things here and there, were assisting cultural resources staff in their research on the Port Royal Experiment, particularly with regards to land ownership. The Port Royal Experiment has been called a test run of Reconstruction. For example, the ideas of the Freedmen's Bank originated in Beaufort, South Carolina. I would also engage with, contact and research sites that could be strong prospective members to the Reconstruction Era National Historical Network. Established by Congress in 2019 and with more than 100 sites nationwide, the network provides an infrastructure and support network to sites relevant to the Reconstruction Era. These include sites managed by the National Park Service, state managed sites, as well as privately managed sites.

Q: What did you enjoy most about your internship?

A: Getting to see a different part of the country. I had never been to the Deep South before, and I have lived in the Midwest my entire life. I was fascinated by getting to experience a different region, culture and history. The best part is my internship helped me contribute to educating visitors about this history!

Q: What did you learn/gain from the internship?

A: Since I hope to work for some level of government (or a related field) someday, it really taught me the unique nature of working for the federal government. When compared to most companies or places to work, it really is a different and unique operating environment. We needed to be concerned with the political situation in Washington, D.C., consider our institutional mandate (as dictated by Congress) and more. I think that, although the history research skills I learned are absolutely invaluable, getting to experience what government work is like is something I could not have gotten any other way. That would be the greatest takeaway from the summer.

Emma Ostwinkle '25

Emma Ostwinkle '25, an anthropology and history double major from Monticello, Iowa, was an archaeology intern with Colonial National Historical Park in Jamestown, Virginia.

Q: What did your job duties include?

A: My primary responsibilities for my internship included completing archaeological excavations, instructing volunteers and interns on proper archaeological excavation and data-recording methods, organizing and digitizing field paperwork, and researching artifacts for a reference manual.

Q: What did you enjoy most about your internship?

A: I most enjoyed being able to do archaeology and gain hands-on experience in the field while also using skills and knowledge I have learned throughout my courses.

Q: What did you learn/gain from the internship?

A: Throughout this internship, I learned more about cultural resource management within the National Park Service, and I expanded my knowledge of Colonial America and its cultural material.

Learn about the 2,000+ jobs and internships posted annually by the Augustana University Student Success Center at Augie Opportunities.

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