Internship Spotlight: Documenting History One Photo at a Time

Student helps SHU Discovery Science Center & Planetarium organize aircraft models for display and archives

An internship can be a valuable experience that connects the knowledge a student learns in the classroom with real-world applications in a professional setting. At Sacred Heart University, students across academic disciplines have opportunities to expand their studies and explore their career goals through diverse internship experiences.

Here is one of those stories:

Aidan Ford, ’27, history major; American history minor

Over the past four months, Aidan Ford took a trip through time and space as part of his internship with the Sacred Heart University Discovery Science Center & Planetarium.

Though tasked with varied duties, a significant part of his internship was researching digital database services and recommending the best one to serve as the repository and digital archive for the photographic images he took of a donated collection of about 400 model aircraft, rockets, rovers, space shuttles and landers. The pieces span from some of America’s earliest rockets to the Mars rovers.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “As a history major, with a minor in American history, I’ve loved working with NASA, U.S. military and commercial aircraft models that show the history of the space race from the Cold War to the present day.”

Gaining experience and developing professional skills

Ford worked with Elliot Severn, the director of the planetarium & technology, and Alex Young, director of exhibits & facilities at the center. They entrusted Ford to investigate, evaluate and ultimately recommend a collections management software system that fell within budget and served their needs. While they made the ultimate decision on selection, Young said Ford’s contribution to the center during his internship has been invaluable.

“We wanted to create a publicly available digital catalog that would allow the public to browse through the models even when they are not on the floor,” Young said. “Aidan was invaluable in that process, as well as photographing the pieces.”

Making valuable contributions

Armed with a Nikon camera, Ford spent about two months of his internship photographing hundreds of models for the archives (the total collection is about 400 items). It took some finesse. Ford had to position each object against a whiteboard, take at least three shots to provide a 360-degree viewpoint and then carefully return the model to storage. Given Ford’s internship ended this past semester, he won’t get a chance to work on the next stage of the project, which will be the uploading of images and readying them for public viewing. Still, he’s happy to have been part of the experience.

“I’m grateful to have been there from the start as they build this collection and archives,” he said, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed working with the discovery center staff. “I got to see it take off.”

While Ford’s ultimate career goal is to teach high school history and social studies, he said the internship has opened his eyes to different career paths that are available to him because of his major and his interests. And his responsibilities during this work experience, such as having to find a product that met the needs of the discovery center while being within budget, led to great learning opportunities.

Developing confidence and building connections

“By working in a more professional environment, I believe it will show any future employer that I can handle different environments and responsibilities,” Ford said. “Having this credibility makes me feel extremely confident moving into the future. The experience has given me a glimpse of the great possibilities that come after this.”

Ford, who is from Long Island, N.Y., was grateful to the history department and the faculty for not only helping him to secure his first-ever internship, but also for their overall support of his aspirations and those of other students in the program.

Accessing career planning resources and opportunities

The history department has long supported students in preparing for post-graduate plans, said Kelly Marino, an associate teaching professor in the Sacred Heart University history department. Through collaborations with Sacred Heart’s Center for Career & Professional Development, students can pursue history internships that cover educational, research and other work. Students can earn one to three credits upon completion of the internship.

“The career center has many contacts in the community, and we have collaborated on internship programs for students, such as panel discussions with community partners about the programs they have to offer,” she said.

Marino said internships help to strengthen and support what students learn in the classroom. “Internships give students the opportunity to take the communication skills that they learn in the classroom and apply them in real time in an actual professional setting,” she said. “They illustrate to students how pursuing a history degree can prepare them for different career settings.”

Ford said this freedom to explore different career paths as an undergraduate has enriched his experience at Sacred Heart University and helped him to develop fundamental skills that he can apply to any future career opportunities. “While I still intend to make teaching my profession, this experience really expanded my horizons.”

Get to know more about Sacred Heart University’s job and internship search resources through the Center for Career & Professional Development.