Week 15

 Hello Readers! This past week marked an exciting milestone in my internship journey: presenting my work at the High-Impact Practice (HIP) Student Showcase! The showcase is a fantastic UCF event celebrating student projects from HIP-designated courses, highlighting learning, research, and real-world experience. It was a great opportunity to share the project I've been working on at the Military History Museum.

My presentation at the HIP Showcase centered on the process of bringing  the Vacanti collection to life. It involved several key stages. First I made sure to talk about the process of accessioning. Carefully cataloging and preserving every item, from World War II ration cards and service medals (including WWII occupation, Korean, and Vietnam War medals) to graduation cards identifying his role as an Aviation Machinist Mate and posters from his time as a recruiter. I wanted people to be able to understand the work that goes into properly preserving these artifacts. Second I spoke on the research I have done for the project diving deep to provide context for LCDR Vacanti's service. This included exploring the Navy's ZW-1 blimp squadron, where he served, understanding the nuances of his time as a Reservist on active duty orders, and piecing together his career path from enlisted Aviation Machinist Mate to Lieutenant Commander. Lastly, I talked about exhibit curation. Moving from cataloging and research to actually designing the exhibit. This involved not just selecting artifacts but also thinking critically about how to tell LCDR Vacanti's story. A major part of this has been writing concise, engaging exhibit labels that go beyond simple descriptions to provide context and spark curiosity. The goal is to connect visitors to his experiences and the broader history, effectively bridging the gap between the Korean and Vietnam War eras in the museum's narrative.

Presenting this project, both through my poster and the video I prepared, allowed me to reflect on the purpose of my internship: learning about public history in a military setting. Transforming a box of artifacts into a narrative involves research, critical thinking, and creative communication. It's about making history accessible and engaging. Sharing this journey at the HIP Showcase was a rewarding experience, allowing me to articulate the value of service learning and the skills gained through hands-on work with historical collections. It's been an incredible opportunity to honor a veteran's legacy while developing practical museum skills.

This showcase served as an ending to my internship and this will be my last blog post on the Military History Museum. I’ve had a great time interning here and will continue to work here part time on Friday’s if any of you would like to visit. If you stick around on the blog I will be starting a new one in the summer for my internship at the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center. Thank you for reading!


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