History Student Relives 18th Century for Internship

Corset, bonnet, scarf, apron and clogs.  This was the summer wardrobe for Katherine Warfield during her internship.  The smile that topped the outfit, however, was entirely hers. 

“My favorite part of the internship was getting dressed in 18th century clothes and going out with the public.  I like to talk to people about what I do and how much I love it. Getting to play with the kids was great.”

Katherine interned at Fort Ticonderoga, the site of the first victory of the American Revolution.  Her main work was with transcripts and primary sources in the research library. 

“It’s pretty humbling to hold a letter written by William Johnson or Marquis de Montcalm.”

Katherine represented the site in 18th century dress, she hosted families who dressed in 18th century clothing for photos, and she assisted with a family program in which children or families played 18th century games.

“It was so much fun.  I loved working with the public.”

She sent out e-mails and applications to several 18th century historic sites before she was accepted by Ticonderoga.  “I was so excited and it really has been the best internship I could have ever asked for.  I have wanted to be an 18th century historic interpreter all my life.  When the other kids wanted to be astronauts and doctors, I wanted to be a museum curator!  I even dressed in 18th century clothes for career day in elementary school.  When it came time for me to get an internship, I knew I wanted something in the 18th century, and I wanted something cool.”

While at Southeast, Katherine was a historic preservation major from Perryville, Mo., and a May 2008 graduate.  She says the diversity of training in her courses at Southeast has given her a broad spectrum of knowledge that can be applied to all aspects of her academic career. 

“Southeast puts a real emphasis on how different disciplines are related and on being a well-rounded, educated person.  Even though I was a historic preservation major, I still needed and wanted to know about biology, and I know this knowledge will make me a better citizen.  I really like that about Southeast.”

“The best advice I could give anyone would be to aim high and know that you can achieve it.  Most of doing well is knowing that you can do well.  Be confident!”