I was confused when I first found out where I would be working at the Smithsonian. This was the first I had heard of the National Collections Program; I only knew of the different museums within the institution. However, while I was confused, it piqued my interest. I immediately found the website and looked around. One of the first pages I looked at was the mission statement. I wanted to know precisely what the department does for the Smithsonian and get an idea of what my role during the internship would be. As stated on its website, the National Collections Program does “improve the overall stewardship and management of Smithsonian collections by providing central leadership, policy oversight, strategic planning, and support to Institution-wide collections initiatives.”1 The department creates policies for how the Smithsonian handles and protects its collections. This made me think I would help the department develop different policies. When I met with Mrs. Snell, my mentor, to discuss the internship and my role within the department, I learned more about what I was going to be helping them with. She, along with Ms. Miller, told me that I was going to be assisting the Collections Emergency Management initiative. The initiative’s mission is “to strengthen and support unit-level and pan-Institutional collections emergency policy, procedures, training, and logistics” and “to advise and provide subject-matter expertise, consultation and assistance to NCP, Smithsonian units and senior management and, when activated, provide collections support, response, and recovery as requested by NCP as part of the Smithsonian’s Office of Emergency Management.”2 Essentially, the Preparedness and Response in Collections Emergencies creates policies and training for Smithsonian staff that tackles different types of emergencies across the institution. These emergencies include pipe leaks, HVAC failures, and damage caused by natural disasters. They also describe the exact job I would be working on. I will look at the different emergencies that occurred over the years and find common issues, oddballs, and other issues in the collections. I will compile this information and see if there are lessons to be learned and if certain areas need to be addressed. For example, if leaks seem to be a common issue that continues to come up in the files, what needs to be addressed, and what can the institution learn and do about them? I would then use the digital skills I learned in the past three classes to compile that information and dig out trends. These include using analysis tools like Voyant and Excel, and design tools such as Canva and PowerPoint. The job description excited me. One of the goals I wanted to get out of the internship was to learn about the inner workings and be able to work with different members of the institution. In my role, I will learn how the institution handles different emergencies and how each department handles them. I will also be able to talk to different members of the Smithsonian. When I complete this certificate and my degree, I hope to use my education to work in a museum. I am excited that this internship will help me learn more about the inner workings of a museum and network with other members of the Smithsonian.