Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015 - (Page 8)

Volunteering at the National Archives by Sarah Farver I CAN STILL RECALL THE SOUND OF MY HEELS CLICKING ON THE SIDEWALK AS I MADE MY WAY TO THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE ENTRANCE OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES BUILDING IN WASHINGTON, DC. THE SOLEMN STATUES FLANKING THE ENTRANCE SEEMED OMINOUS TO ME-THEN A NERVOUS 16-YEAR-OLD-AS I MENTALLY PREPARED FOR MY INTERVIEW. A s a high school junior, I had begun to think more seriously about what I wanted to study in college and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I had always been interested in history, both inside and outside the classroom. Living in Northern Virginia, my family took Sarah with Thomas Jefferson at the National Archives' July Fourth celebration advantage of our proximity to Washington, DC, and visited the Smithsonian Museums and art galleries often. I enjoyed connecting what I learned from these visits to the lessons I was taught in school and the historical fiction novels I read at home. As I considered the museum career path, I thought a good way to explore the field would be to volunteer at a museum in DC. After extensive research, I decided to apply to the National Archives volunteer program. Unlike most museums, which required interns to be at least 18 years old, the Archives would allow me to engage in collegiate intern-level work at age 16. The National Archives was also a well-known institution right in the heart of the museum district, so the surroundings were familiar and friendly. I hadn't visited the Archives since I was a young girl, so I was interested in learning what it had to offer tourists other than a large room displaying the Declaration of Independence. My research revealed that the National Archives and Records Administration was part of the Executive Branch, and the nation's record keeper, holding billions of records. Dedicated to sharing these records with the public, the Archives was a government agency and museum in one. I applied and was invited to come in for an interview, which gave me my first behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Archives. After meeting with the Manager of Volunteers, Interns, and Interpretation, I left the building as a National Archives volunteer. Nov/Dec 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns
National Treasure Volunteering at the National Archives
Driving My Future, Exploring the Past The many rewards of genealogy
Past in Focus National History Day
People-Powered Movements Studying revolutions at Phillips Academy Andover
Hooked on History From paleontology to conservation science, four graduate students share their research
This is History My summer at Crow Canyon
The Benefits of Majoring in History
Making History My journey to the inaugural International History Olympiad
Historians in Training The Concord Review Summer Program
The Ultimate Game
In My Own Footsteps Putting my choreography in the spotlight
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with archaeologist Inna Moore
One Step Ahead Be your own priority
Planning Ahead for College Choosing the best college for your major
Students Review: University of Washington
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2015