During the 2023 summer, student Leah Ollie interned at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., as a part of the Because of Her Story Cohort Program. Majoring in English and minoring in Anthropology and Museum Studies, Ollie felt this internship would help sharpen her skills and learn more about potential job opportunities. Over ten weeks, her internship did just that.
Ollie was a part of the Because of Her Story Cohort through the Smithsonian Institution,, which works to amplify women’s stories to tell a more complete narrative of American history. The program sheds light on figures not found in the history books. Working at the National Museum of Natural History with other interns, Ollie spent much time in the anthropology section of the museum. Diving deep into the archives, she uncovered the stories of the women who unofficially worked in the department. Along with her research partner, they maintained a spreadsheet and wrote biographies of the women they researched. At the end of the internship, they posted the stories of these women on social media. These women were often the wives of curators, and they did a lot of the labor. Working as unpaid laborers, the museum did not recognize them for their work. This internship uncovered their stories and also presented Ollie with many learning opportunities.
While a part of the Because of Her Story Cohort, Ollie learned from fellow interns and professionals in the anthropology and museum fields. At the National Museum of Natural History, the experts told her about museum expectations and taught her more about preservation and conservation. She realized how intensive it was to work in collections and archives and how there were multiple paths to becoming a museum curator. At the same time, she saw how rewarding the process was. It involved a lot more creativity than she initially expected. Besides learning about the inner workings of the museums, Ollie sharpened and developed her skills in the internship. It showed her the different ways to research and share information.
Because of her experiences, Ollie recommends for others to intern somewhere. She says, “It is a great way to get short-term experience and learn more about a potential career before jumping straight into it.” Internships provide time to see what you like versus what you don’t like. You become more prepared and informed by sharpening skills and developing new ones. At the same time, it gave Ollie the opportunity to build connections outside the Butler community.