Because of my internship, I have become more confident in my abilities as a historian. When I entered my internship, I was unsure of how well I would do given that I was using an Excel spreadsheet that I would later plug into a mapping feature. I did that once before in my first project in the certificate program. I had to use different Excel sheets to map out historical information that could connect to each other. I did not know at the time if I was unable to or if it was because I was recovering from Covid, but I had difficulty trying to get it to work. I eventually got it to work, but I swore that day that I would never try it again, given how much difficulty I had with it. It was poetic how I would have to use Excel for a mapping program again at the end of my certificate program. I remember how much dread I had about using the program again. However, this opportunity was beneficial to me as a historian. From my mentor at the National Collections Program, I learned what information to include in an Excel spreadsheet to be beneficial to see in a mapping program. Without this internship, I could not use that feature in the future. It also helped me feel more confident in my abilities as a historian. So much so that I will continue to use what I learned with Excel and mapping programs in my future research.

            Along with my confidence in my abilities as a historian, my internship made me a more confident student. I have always been a shy student regarding discussions and presentations in my class. I would be fine talking to my classmates before and after class, but I would freeze up when it came to the class portion and discussion. No matter how much I prepared beforehand, the outcome would be the same. It was the same deal when I started my internship; I had difficulty speaking up. However, this internship changed my life like with Excel and the mapping program. During the internship, I would talk to people across the Smithsonian community about my project. I also had one-on-one meetings with people unrelated to my project, just talking about their job at the Smithsonian. Over time, I started feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I did not worry about talking to people about my project. I also noticed that I felt more comfortable in class, too. While I am not perfect, I have been speaking up more in class and I now feel like I am a participant in class discussion. I hope my confidence as a historian and a student continues well after my internship, and I am grateful for the opportunity my mentor and George Mason gave me.