I still remember the day that I fell in love with museums. I was twelve years old and it was at The Milwaukee Public Museum in Wisconsin, my home state. I had always been a history lover, and for the longest time I wanted to be a Paleontologist. As I grew older, I came to favor ancient and medieval world history, which is what I am majoring in. I have done a lot of reading and studying over my lifetime, and I have had the amazing opportunity to go to Egypt to study my love for history first hand. Museums, libraries, and archives are all workplaces that I am just itching to get my hands into. This semester I have gotten the incredible opportunity to do exactly this, and to also gain more experience in the field I am working towards. I have been selected to be the Paul Kriese service engagement scholar this semester, and I am so thankful for this honor. I have decided to do my service work at the Wayne County Historical Museum. I have been assigned to work on the collection of David W. Dennis. David W. Dennis was the congressman of Indiana during President Nixon’s presidency. He was one of the judiciary committee members that was a part of the case dealing with the impeachment of Nixon via the Watergate scandal. His family’s history is very extensive, and it even ties in with the Wright brothers. I have found a lot of really cool items in this collection already! I have found a lot of items such as: items dealing with the family’s time in China, their genealogy that goes back to the Mayflower, army discharge papers, Congressional newsletters, lots of photographs, Chinese scrolls, a certificate stating the attendance of the Apollo 11 launch, and many more! Most of this collection is completely untouched. I have the opportunity to do inventory, cataloging, and other archival work. This is such an amazing opportunity for me, because I am doing the kind of work I plan on going into after I graduate.

I would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to all of the people that made this experience possible and are helping me with this journey.

Thank you to the Paul Kriese Scholarship for the opportunity and funding.

Thank you to Director Frances Yates for presenting this opportunity to me and all of your help thus far.

Thank you to Elizabeth South for all of your help with information regarding archival work.

Thank you Director Jim Harlan of The Wayne County Historical Museum for allowing me to do service work at your facility and all of your help with the work.

Thank you to Dr. Eugene Cruz-Uribe for all of your mentoring, not just with this specific assignment, but with all of my studies thus far.

Thank you to Indiana University East for continuously giving such amazing opportunities to the students and always supporting us.