Internship Grants

Sterling Bryant is a Graduate Student in History at Virginia Tech. He researches immigration and labor in the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Bryant graduated from undergrad at Virginia Tech in May 2024, and will be graduating with a Master’s in May 2026. Additionally, Bryant is a veteran who served in the United States Navy from 2013 through 2020. He will be interning at the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Park and staying in New Market, Virginia, and is most looking forward to working with the general public and getting better with public speaking. 

Conrad Hamm is a junior at Virginia Tech, majoring in history, and planning to graduate in May 2026. Hamm will be interning at Appomattox Court House over this summer, and he looks forward to furthering his knowledge of the American Civil War, conducting research, and collaborating with other internees. Hamm said he is grateful for this opportunity as he has a strong and dedicated passion for history.

Seth Showalter is a history major expecting to graduate in 2026. Showalter's internship is at the Shenandoah National Park Civil War battlefield, and he looks forward to learning more about our country's history, meeting new people, and hopefully getting a tan. 

Madison Smith is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and a graduate student in the History M.A. program at Virginia Tech, expected to graduate in May 2026. This summer, she will intern at the Salem Museum in Salem, Virginia, where she will primarily work on a major project exploring daily life during the post-Civil War and Reconstruction Era through the lens of a single family. A graduate of Roanoke College, Smith is excited to once again collaborate with the museum staff and continue developing her skills as both a student and an emerging historian. 

Ben Warburton is a rising senior double majoring in History and Industrial Engineering. This upcoming summer he will be working with The Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond.  Warburton is looking forward to working with the many historical documents and artifacts of the museum first-hand, and especially at the possibility of interacting with hitherto uncatalogued material.

Miles Abernethy: I’m privileged to receive a VCCWS Internship grant for a second consecutive year. This summer, I will be at Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. In addition to commemorating several 160th anniversary events, SVBF is embarking on considerable expansions of their historic property. I’m looking forward to being part of that growth, in both interpretation and practical land management skills. In addition, I’m hoping that my experiences this summer will serve as a jumping point to an imminent career in Civil War public history.

Mason Keyser: At Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, I will be interpreting the Civil War history of one of the closing sites of the war. I will also be bringing local histories to bear to give an added nineteenth century cultural context to the events of the war.  Finally, I hope to highlight how the local environment at Appomattox charts both the history of the Civil War and its long aftermath, which affects us still to this day.

Jillian Sasso: This summer, I will be working as a Historical Interpretation Intern at Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District. This district covers a vast distance with multiple battlefields, historic sites, and museums, and I look forward to interacting with the public at all of these locations! In addition to working in visitor services, I will be engaging with historic battlefield preservation and helping to improve conditions throughout the district. I am excited to expand on my 2023 summer experience at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and share my passion for Civil War History with the public once again.

Addison Seltzer: This summer, I will be working as an intern at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. I am excited to immerse myself in Civil War history and learn us much as I can while I’m there. I specifically want to highlight how the Civil War influenced modern military doctrine and the experiences of average soldiers during the war. I am most looking forward to engaging with the public and conveying the importance of several key battles of the war.

Jillian Sasso: I spent this past summer working as a Historical Interpretation and Education Intern at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Working at Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, Chatham Manor, and Ellwood Manor, I handed out maps and brochures, provided directions of the park and surrounding area, and interpreted the history of each site to visitors. Additionally, I researched, wrote, and interpreted my own program about the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Other specialized duties included ancestor research for visitors, operating a cash register, and recording statistics at each site.

Over the course of the summer, I learned so much about the history of the park, including information about Civil War battles, colonial and antebellum historical figures, and even topics such as Civil War memory and interpretation. Most importantly, I learned how to work collaboratively with others in and outside of my division, as well as how to meet the needs of every visitor. I even learned how to fire a 19th century musket and operate numerous stations within Civil War cannon drills!

I am hoping to enter a career field in federal intelligence or the National Park Service, so this internship has been highly valuable for my future. On the academic side, this internship has improved my historical research and writing skills, which will be useful for a career in intelligence or public history. It has also helped me improve my social and communication skills, which I can use to improve my future work environment. I am so thankful to Paul Quigley and the VCCWS for sponsoring this internship! It was a great experience for me!

Miles Abernethy: Working with the National Park Service rangers, staff, and fellow interns at Fredericksburg Spotsylvania NMP has only increased my love for learning about the Civil War and gives me new confidence for a future career in public history.

During my two-and-a-half months with the park, I worked in a variety of roles. From leading large groups on overviews of the Battle of Chancellorsville, to explaining the significance of the “Stonewall” Jackson Death Site, and even analyzing the physical and written quality of the parks signage in the Wilderness Battlefield, my experience was underlined by the excellent training provided to us, allowing me to provide top-notch service to the hundreds of visitors over the busy summer season.

To anyone interested in interpreting the Civil War to a global audience, I highly recommend working with the team at FRSP. They made me feel both welcome and useful – a 10/10 intern experience!