I've been working with Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA), a local Brampton museum, for a couple months now and I haven't been paid for a single hour of my work...which is kind of the point. The Historical Studies internship program run through UTM gives fourth year History majors a chance to take all of the stuff they've learned in their time at UTM and make it useful within a real work setting. This is the stuff of academic dreams! To be able to learn in someplace besides a classroom is what it's all about, am I right? I'm right. These are my confessions as a student intern.
Old Books and Buildings Excite Me:
The buildings that house the PAMA art gallery, museum and archives were once used as the town's courthouse and jailhouse. I know--kinda creepy, kinda awesome. That is one of my favourite things about my internship. I get to work and study in these buildings that are an integral part of Canadian--more specifically, Peel--history. When I'm working at PAMA I am, quite literally, immersed in history and that is really special. Also, as one of the friendly archivists helped me pick through the archival material in search of some Caledon newspapers, I noticed the picturesque books that sat on the shelves. I may have made a bit of a spectacle when I saw them, asking the archivist if I could snap a few photos. They are gogreous. They are everything you want an old book to look like. I love books and these ones are going on the top of my "favourites" list.
Research is Exciting!
I didn't actually realize how much I liked conducting research until I was given my first assignment. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely discouraging when you've spent days reaearching for something specific and come up dry by the end of it. But when you finally find that piece of information that you're looking for you feel like you've just conquered the world. I started researching Terry Fox's history and journey through Peel. In doing so, I had the opportunity to work with new resources--like a microfiche--and learn new things about a heroic Canadian icon. I looked through hard copies of newspapers from the 1980's and by the time I was done with my research at the end of about 4-5 weeks, I felt like I had really accomplished something. Interning with a museum reminded me why I even began pursuing a degree in history to begin with--I love to learn.
I want to graduate so...school credit is cool!
Like I mentioned, this internship program let's me learn outside of a classroom. When you've spent a majority of your young adult life confined to classrooms and lecture halls, hands-on work is exhilarating. Also, my work with PAMA is going to be something that I'll list on my resume. Not only will I have received a credit that counts towards my graduation in June, I will be able to use this experience to (hopefully!) find a job after school. It's a win-win, I think.
Overall, my experience as an unpaid student intern has been really positive. Incentive doesn't always come in the form of a paycheck; instead, it's disguised as valuable experience and the satisfaction of a job well done.