Interns reflect on their experiences with Delaware history

As the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs prepares to welcome a new cohort of interns this year, some of the interns from 2024 who worked at historic sites and on projects across the state reflect on what their experiences have meant to them so far.

Anabella Cerrone spent her internship at the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site working directly with historical documents, making connections in research among the findings of others. She enjoyed her time so much she said she’s looking forward to future volunteering opportunities with HCA. Cerrone Anabella said her internship was “a wonderful experience and has made me all the more excited for my future in a career related to history, whether it be in research, outreach or preservation.”

The time Zeppelin Evans spent as an intern for HCA built on her existing love of museums. Her internship at the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, which included transcribing recipe books from the 1700s and 1900s, cemented her love of transcription and research and helped her make new connections between Delaware historic sites. Evans, who is now starting her career in museums as a historic site interpreter at John Dickinson Plantation, said she hopes her path allows her “to bring the hidden histories of women and enslaved people to light.”

Both Cerrone and Evans’s internships were funded by the Friends of Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, thanks to a grant from Delaware Humanties.

Matthew Krokenberger said his experience interning at the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site gave him a behind-the-scenes understanding of the work involved in opening a museum. He saw future plans for the site and learned about the research, exhibit planning and administrative operations that are part of the Cooch’s Bridge transition. Krokenberger said the experience gave him “a better understanding of the dedication it takes to preserve and share local history with the community.” Krokenberger has since graduated and has been hired as a historic site interpreter at Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site. He is continuing some of the work he was doing as an intern while pursuing new research, as well.

Olivia Platt left her internship with a love of collections that she plans to pursue with her master’s degree in museum studies. Platt said interning with HCA’s curation and design team was encouraging and inspiring, and helped her to develop skills that she can now apply to preparing for interviews and working as a team. She said she was constantly challenged to “think deeper and ask the why behind why practices or ideas are standardized in academia.”