In 2024, twenty-one University of Montana students participated in public history internships. Some went to Europe, while others stayed local in Montana and connected more deeply with their community. All interns gained valuable experience that helped them develop their careers.   

The Montana Historical Society  

The Montana Historical Society gave students a variety of internship opportunities. Lauryn Tecca interned with the Montana Historical Society as an editor for, Montana: The Magazine of Western History. Tecca got to work on scholarly articles, and book reviews about the West. She navigated working with clients, and gained professional connections with scholars nationwide, refined her editing skills, and gained experience in the publishing industry.  

Joel Freedman interned at the Montana Historical Society as a research assistant during the fall semester. He aided in the creation of a database documenting the history of Chinese immigrants in Yellowstone County, Montana. While working, Freedman visited various archives across Montana and gained a deeper appreciation for their treasures, such as old architectural plans for historic Missoula buildings.  

During the spring semester, Freedman helped create an aviation documentary. Part of his job was to look for historical sources that would help inform the documentary. Freedman cited the Historical Methods Course at the University of Montana as great help for “sorting through the hundreds, if not thousands, of sources the Mansfield database offers. There were many great sources, but the difficulty lay in deciding which sources were relevant and which were not useful to the particular area of aviation I was focused on.” While working he also got to have some fun going inside the Miss Montana airplane and looking at genuine 1960s headphones and microphones!  

Missoula Public History 

With the Missoula Historic Preservation Office, Sami Carlson created a guided driving tour telling the history of rock n’ roll in Missoula. The internship strengthened various skills, such as technology, writing, podcasts, and brochure making. “I gained valuable insight into how to communicate complex material in ways that resonate with people from different backgrounds,” said Carlson. With the completion of Carlson’s project, the public now has a fun way of exploring Missoula’s music scene.  

The Poverello Center hired two history students who helped create an exhibit for the Poverello Center’s 50th anniversary. Paige Moriarty and Dylan Yonce learned to write concisely for a public audience. “Additionally, the study of history has always been about helping build community for me…The Poverello Center has been a staple of the Missoula community for fifty years. I am excited to see how the exhibit affects the Center’s press and fundraising goals.” said Yonce. The students refined their research, synthesis, and writing skills for this public history project, and the Poverello Center subsequently hired Yonce for a permanent development position.  

Abroad 

Logan Nickel completed a public history internship for the Norwegian nonprofit organization Åsen BlackBox. While in Norway, Nickel created a public history event titled Sacred Relation Wilderness Workshop. Nickel was able to meet National Geographic travel photographers and archaeologists.  While traveling across central Europe, Nickel used skills such as research and note-taking. However, another skill that he needed to develop was backpacking. While giving the workshop tour in the wilderness, the intern had to learn how to give a public history lecture and make sure that inexperienced backpackers were safe.  

Other Internships Completed

• the Browman Collections Internship at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.  

• Student Trainee (Park Guide) with the National Park Service.  

• Student Assistant at the University of Montana Maureen & Mike Mansfield Library.  

• Angie Palin Education Internship Organization for the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula which helped create a gallery exhibit about bicycle history. 

• Stories and Stones researching and giving a living history presentation as part of the Missoula Cemetery’s annual Stories and Stones event. 

•  Missoula City Police Department working in the department archives and developing an historical exhibit.  

• Travelers Rest State Park, the intern helped with collections and interpretation. 

All of these interns gained valuable professional experience in the public history fields. The students’ passion for their work is sure to connect the public to history in interesting ways. Congratulations to all the 2024 interns for all the projects that were completed. 

— Ruby Lopez (UM Public History Website Intern)