Orange County Regional History Center Week #4
Dear YAP Familia,
When I started this internship, I began with the citrus label inventory project, and as a finished this project I would proceed to work on the other inventory projects, the aerial file negative cabinet and photographic file cabinet, using both Excel and Past Perfect Software. I also got the chance to work on cataloging maps from Central Florida, from very old black and white maps to very beautiful, color coded maps. All this inventory and cataloging work was not only done in the History Center but also at Offsite, a warehouse where the majority of the stuff is located. It was very big and contained thousands of valuable artifacts from generation of Central Florida residents, from pins to wooden crosses for the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
In addition to helping with inventory and cataloging, I also got the chance to work on three exhibition projects. The first project consisted of designing an exhibit about sinkholes and their impact in Central Florida. Over the course of four weeks, I conducted research using the research center's resources and scholar articles, drafted an exhibit script with display information and photos, and completed an exhibit design using InDesign. When I saw the final result of my exhibit, I felt so proud of all the hard work I had put in research, and organizing the information and visual images. The second project consisted of helping the Wells Built museum install exhibit cases donated by the History Center. On Tuesday of my fourth week, I accompanied my coworkers to the African American museum, and helped clean the exhibit cases donated. After cleaning them, we would move the artifacts in displays into the new cases. This second project helped me realize the importance of helping other museums since many of the museums in the United States do not count with the same resources as the Smithsonian museums. The other project was the Tito Puente story time with the library, from which not only I read them a story about a famous Latino musician and songwriter, but also gave the children a chance to play with their own set of "timbales" using cups and wooden sticks.
During these four weeks, I worked in a Smithsonian affiliated museum, the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando. It was not only the first time I would use a train so consistently but also the longest time I would be away from home, even though that record will change in two weeks when I move into my dorm. As I tell people, I did not imagine having this internship a year ago. However, I also did not imagine being away from my country during one of the most historic periods. As the political events occurred in Puerto Rico, I had mixed emotions. I was very happy since people were finally standing up for their country and demanding justice for all of the corrupt politician's actions. I was also sad that the only time I have been away for more than two weeks the country goes through the most revolutionary moment in Puerto Rico's history. I wish I could have been in the capital during the protests with some of my family members that I would not have imagined being in the capital and being interviewed for a local news station!
In only four weeks, I learned about the inner workings of the History Center and how do they convey Central Florida History through artifacts, documents, photographs, maps, and more. In only four weeks, I learned about their commitment to invite the community to learn more about their history through many activities, like 3rd Thursday. In only four weeks, I gained new professional skills, such as running inventory and conducting research, which will come in handy in the future. In only four weeks, I learned about new ways of exposing voices of the community, including the growing Latino community in the United States. In only one month, my leadership transformed in Washington Week and my collaborative work skills improved during this time with people I will never forget.
Until next time,
Charmaine Nieves
As I finished my fourth and final week of my internship and finished my internship, I looked back to four weeks ago when I walked in to the research center and saw a group of complete strangers I would work for four weeks. As the weeks passed, these strangers would become not only coworkers but also a group of people I could depend on in the future if I find myself in need of a helping hand. My coworkers made me feel these four weeks as four seconds. Even though I was away from my home, I was able to connect not only with my coworkers but also family members I had not seen for years. As time would go by, I would both grow professionally and have a new life experience in the United States.
When I started this internship, I began with the citrus label inventory project, and as a finished this project I would proceed to work on the other inventory projects, the aerial file negative cabinet and photographic file cabinet, using both Excel and Past Perfect Software. I also got the chance to work on cataloging maps from Central Florida, from very old black and white maps to very beautiful, color coded maps. All this inventory and cataloging work was not only done in the History Center but also at Offsite, a warehouse where the majority of the stuff is located. It was very big and contained thousands of valuable artifacts from generation of Central Florida residents, from pins to wooden crosses for the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
 |
| *Final result of exhibition "Sinkholes in Central Florida" using InDesign. |
In addition to helping with inventory and cataloging, I also got the chance to work on three exhibition projects. The first project consisted of designing an exhibit about sinkholes and their impact in Central Florida. Over the course of four weeks, I conducted research using the research center's resources and scholar articles, drafted an exhibit script with display information and photos, and completed an exhibit design using InDesign. When I saw the final result of my exhibit, I felt so proud of all the hard work I had put in research, and organizing the information and visual images. The second project consisted of helping the Wells Built museum install exhibit cases donated by the History Center. On Tuesday of my fourth week, I accompanied my coworkers to the African American museum, and helped clean the exhibit cases donated. After cleaning them, we would move the artifacts in displays into the new cases. This second project helped me realize the importance of helping other museums since many of the museums in the United States do not count with the same resources as the Smithsonian museums. The other project was the Tito Puente story time with the library, from which not only I read them a story about a famous Latino musician and songwriter, but also gave the children a chance to play with their own set of "timbales" using cups and wooden sticks.
 |
| *History Center and Wells Built staff that collaborated on installing the new exhibit cases. |
During these four weeks, I worked in a Smithsonian affiliated museum, the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando. It was not only the first time I would use a train so consistently but also the longest time I would be away from home, even though that record will change in two weeks when I move into my dorm. As I tell people, I did not imagine having this internship a year ago. However, I also did not imagine being away from my country during one of the most historic periods. As the political events occurred in Puerto Rico, I had mixed emotions. I was very happy since people were finally standing up for their country and demanding justice for all of the corrupt politician's actions. I was also sad that the only time I have been away for more than two weeks the country goes through the most revolutionary moment in Puerto Rico's history. I wish I could have been in the capital during the protests with some of my family members that I would not have imagined being in the capital and being interviewed for a local news station!
In only four weeks, I learned about the inner workings of the History Center and how do they convey Central Florida History through artifacts, documents, photographs, maps, and more. In only four weeks, I learned about their commitment to invite the community to learn more about their history through many activities, like 3rd Thursday. In only four weeks, I gained new professional skills, such as running inventory and conducting research, which will come in handy in the future. In only four weeks, I learned about new ways of exposing voices of the community, including the growing Latino community in the United States. In only one month, my leadership transformed in Washington Week and my collaborative work skills improved during this time with people I will never forget.
Until next time,
Charmaine Nieves
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