Fifteen fantastic ACE participants are getting underway from Maui to Maine for CRDIP, the 2020 Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program.  CRDIP offers diverse and underrepresented youth a professional experience and exposure to the historic preservation/cultural resource management fields; meanwhile the National Park Service (NPS) has the opportunity to engage and mentor promising emerging professionals who might choose to work in this field.

During their 11-week terms these members will generate blogs about their experience, participate in group webinars and events, and hopefully have a great season of cultural resource management and cross-discipline training with their host-parks.  Here’s an introduction to the members themselves.  On CRDIP.org you can see more about their park locations and blog posts to come.

Ariadne Argyros – Boston National Historical Park/National Parks of BostonHello! My name is Ariadne Argyros and I was born and raised in Boston, MA. I first became interested in archeology when I volunteered at the Boston City Archaeology Lab in high school and participated in my first excavation by the historic Old North Church. I developed my passion for archaeology and museum studies during my time as an undergrad at the University of Vermont (UVM). My love of archaeology has led me to be a part of six excavations in various parts of the world both on land and
underwater spanning from Israel to Mexico. I also served as a collections management intern during my final year at UVM, and I am very excited to gain some more experience in the museum field as part of the Boston National Historical Park curatorial team! I knew that this opportunity would allow me to discover more of my hometown’s history firsthand, and it will be great to come back home to do more of that with the NHP. I graduated with my master’s degree from the University of Chicago this spring, and I hope to use my degrees and experiences to work as an archaeologist and curator to re-engage the public about the importance of preserving cultural history vis-à-vis exhibits that address significant past and present social issues. In my down time, I enjoy cooking, writing, painting, and hanging out with friends. I also have two wonderful dogs and an incredibly sassy bearded dragon named Gaius!

Marta Olmos – Minute Man National Historical Park

(She/Her) I’m from Gainesville, FL and I am working at Minute Man National Historic Park. I wanted to participate in this program because I am passionate about historical interpretation and telling diverse stories. I have a BA in History from Cornell University and an MLitt in Scottish History from the University of Glasgow. I volunteered for a year as a costumed interpreter at an 18th century home in Edinburgh before taking this internship. I love historical costuming and interpretation, I think living history is one of the most important forms of interpretation and often defines the visitor experience. I also love researching and writing about history. I hope to continue working in public history and interpretation, either with the NPS or another organization.

Isaac St. John – Northeast Regional Office and Acadia National Park

My name is Isaac St. John (he/him) and I am a member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, or Wəlastəkwewiyik.  I currently reside in Sterling, VA, but am making my way back north to Maine for work with my tribe as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.  I am an undergraduate from Bates College in Lewiston, ME, and am a recently accepted graduate student to the University of New Brunswick at Fredericton for a Masters program in Archaeology. My work and educational background has taken me all over in pursuit of creating a solid foundation for my future goals.  I have done work in the PNW with tribes in that area, archaeological excavations throughout the mid-Atlantic, and some digs in the Maine region.  I have also worked with the National Museum of the American Indian in their curatorial and collections department, facilitating the study of native artifacts by visiting scholars and native tribes. This summer, I will be working with Bonnie Newsom, the University of Maine, and the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine to analyze their archaeological collections and making the reports easier to understand to the communities they are related to, i.e. the Miꞌkmaq, Maliseet, Penobscot, and the Passamaquoddy.  In other words, I am trying to demystify archaeological collections to the communities they belong to. After this internship, I will be continuing on my career path towards helping my community with getting better acquainted with their past.  But when I’m not doing that, I enjoy reading anything that catches my attention, trying to learn a new skill in some way, and watching movies.

Maeve Marino – Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Hey there, I’m Maeve! I am a recent graduate of Ball State University (M.A.) and previously attended the University of Akron (B.A), concentrating in archaeology at both universities. I’m originally from north east Ohio and started my archaeological career in the area, which makes this CRDIP internship extra exciting as it has given me the opportunity to return to the area to work at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I tend to focus on historical archaeology, though during this internship I will have the opportunity to delve deeper into prehistoric archaeology than I ever have before. I am excited for this internship to be a stepping stone towards a meaningful career in archaeology and cultural resource management, as well as connect with, and create a growing network of, cultural resource professionals during this time. 

Loissa Harrison-Parks – Gateway National Recreation Area

Hello! My name is Loissa Harrison-Parks and I am from the Grand Rapids/Central Michigan area. I graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Art History. During my undergrad, I worked as a student archeologist through the Najerilla Valley Research Project, in Najera, Spain. The overall goal of the project was to better understand the cultural sequence in the valley and to investigate the changes in settlement and material culture between the Late Iron Age and the 14th Century A.D. This included a study of ruins from 9th Century Jewish quarters ruled by one of the largest and most prominent Arabic governments within the Kingdom of Navarre and, later, in the Kingdom of Castile. My love and admiration for archeology led me to my current Volunteer Research position within Columbia University’s Archeology lab. During the mentorship of Dr. Zoe Crossland, I assisted in the analysis and categorization of 15th Century Madagascar rice samples. This summer I am thrilled to be working as an archeology tech at Gateway National Recreational Area in New York, New York. Gateway preserves some of the last remaining open space surrounding New York Harbor and contains the remains of important maritime structures, harbor fortifications and vestiges of military post life with extant structures dating back before the Civil War.

Rachel Steffen – Haleakala National Park

Hello! My name is Rachel Steffen. I am from Moloka’i, Hawai’i, however I currently reside in Missoula, Montana where I am a Master’s degree student in Anthropology at the University of Montana. My primary research has been focused in lowland Maya archaeology in Belize, where I have spent my field seasons for the last few years. I am currently finishing up my thesis on Late Terminal Classic Maya Architecture, from Cahal Pech, Belize. I focus on non-monumental architecture that was used by lower elites during the transformation of the Maya divine kingship system. While my background is primarily Maya archaeology, I am also interested in contemporary heritage issues and cultural anthropology. I am very excited to expand my archaeological knowledge and experience by having the opportunity to work as a CRDIP Archaeological Technician for Haleakalā National Park, in Maui, Hawai’i. Working in Hawai’i as an archaeologist has been a goal of mine for many years now. I will be surveying the Denman parcel of park land in southeast Maui and documenting the archaeological resources. After completing the internship, I hope to defend my thesis in November (and pass!). In addition, I am also in the midst of a Peace Corps application to serve in the South Pacific.

Jacob Hakim – Haleakala National Park

Aloha! My name is Jacob Hakim (he/him). I am a 4th year PhD student in Linguistics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. For the past three years, I have been studying Language Documentation and Conservation with a focus on under-documented languages of Indonesia. I recently joined an NSF-funded project to document the Nasal language of Southwestern Sumatra, and I will be writing my PhD dissertation about Nasal intonational phonology. I am fascinated by the complex systems of factors that influence a language’s vitality, and I am committed to understanding those systems to help design materials and programs that foster longevity and vitality in endangered languages. I am also interested in the historical, cultural, and ethnographic aspects of language documentation, as language is not an isolated phenomenon used in a bubble – all of these factors interact as part of human culture and society. I am excited to draw on my experience studying unique narratives of human history and culture to work as a CRDIP Women’s History and 19th Amendment Interpretation Intern at Haleakalā National Park on Maui island. Together with the staff at the park, I will draw on both archival materials and oral history to create displays that present the stories of the women who have played a crucial role in the history of the park. These displays will be featured at the Haleakalā National Park Visitors Centers and Kahului Airport. I also love surfing, Paul Thomas Anderson movies, reading, games and game design, writing, playing and writing music, and data viz. I am so excited for this opportunity to continue exploring the history of the Hawaiian Islands, particularly such an important and often understated history, as my relationship with this land continues to grow. Mahalo to ACE and the NPS, and especially to the staff at HALE – I’m stoked for my first experience working in National Parks!

Timothy Maze – Keweenaw National Historical Park 

Aniin, my name is Timothy Maze (He/Him) and I am from Detroit, Michigan. I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in Anthropology, a focus in Archaeology, and a minor in History. I am currently enrolled in the Industrial Heritage and Archaeology master’s program at Michigan Technological University. My research interests include labor, capitalism, site formation processes, and industrial processes and its impact on communities. I was spurred to go into the field of anthropology by not only a love for history and culture, but an urge to find solutions to the modern issues we face today that are rooted in past processes. Anthropology, and more specifically, archaeology, allows me to use material culture to identify how the world has changed over time, and the implications left upon communities from those changes. I currently work in Cultural Resource Management. Once I graduate, I intend to pursue a PhD. This summer, I will be working at the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Calumet, Michigan. While there, I will be working to develop materials for the parks interpretation of prehistoric indigenous copper mining and usage throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. I am excited to use my time on this project to understand the history of the region, as well as the ways in which the copper industry was formed. ranging from early indigenous mining to large corporate entities.

Héctor Berdecía-Hernández – National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

My name is Héctor Berdecía Hernández, and I am from Bayamón, Puerto Rico. I am currently serving as a Materials Conservation Assistant at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) of the U.S. National Park Service. As part of my internship, I will be developing a self-directed investigation on weathered steel conservation treatments, commercially available anti-graffiti coatings, and graffiti removal methods that may be suitable for use on weathering steel. I received an M.Sc. Historic Preservation with a concentration on Architectural Conservation at the University of Pennsylvania, a B.EnvD. in Environmental Design-Architecture with a double major in History of the Americas, and a Post-Bachelor Certificate in Urban Studies from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. I also studied Conservation Science courses within Georgetown University and the Universitá degli Studi de Firenze. I currently serve as a Co-Communications Officer of the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) Board of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). I enjoy cooking and reading about a broad range of topics, including history, urbanism, and politics. Academic research has been an essential part of my professional development and will be crucial in my professional practice. This internship is an opportunity of being part of a pioneering research that contributes to my professional and research interests in architectural conservation and cultural resources management. In the future, I expect to keep working on diverse community projects and continue my path on becoming a licensed architect, and a prospective doctoral candidate.

Taylor Brookins – Northeast Regional Office

My name is Taylor Brookins and I am from New Jersey. I graduated from Morgan State University in May of 2020 with a Masters in Museum Studies and Historical Preservation. I also graduated from Lincoln University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Sociology. I am excited to be working as an intern in partnership with the National Park Service at the North East Regional Office. In this role, I will be expanding on the “Telling All Americans Stories in Delaware” project, which entails researching African American and Native American History. I applied for this CRDIP opportunity because I have a passion for public history and would like to contribute to expanding knowledge on the history of marginalized communities. I am looking forward to expanding my skills in order to pursue a career in the public history and museum field. 

Anna Tiburzi – Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation

My name is Anna Tiburzi. I’m a Master of Landscape Architecture candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF). As I’m entering my third year of the program, my short-term goals are to earn my MLA degree and, in doing so, refine my interests in the discipline and broaden my knowledge and experience base. For this project, I’ll be working with the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation (OCLP), a cultural branch of the National Park Service (NPS) based in Boston, and SUNY ESF’s Center for Cultural Landscape Preservation (CCLP) on documentation collection, organization, and synthesis in preparation for a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House and Chamberlain House properties in Seneca Falls, NY. I received my B.A. in Geography from SUNY Geneseo in 2015. The evolution of landscapes has always been my first love and the relationship between people, cultures, and landscapes is what forms the foundation for my interest in Landscape Architecture. This summer, I’m looking forward to exploring the history and landscapes associated with the Stanton House and Chamberlain House sites. This is my second summer with the Olmsted Center, CCLP, and ACE. Though I’ll be working remotely from my hometown in White Plains, NY and my university in Syracuse, NY, this project presents a great opportunity to explore both digital and physical archives throughout the state and delve deep into the wealth of information and history associated with the sites. Having participated in ACE’s CRDIP and the OCLP’s DTP programs last year, I know that their associates not only have the opportunity to become intimately familiar with a park or part of NPS operations, but also get to work with the enthusiastic and motivated CCLP and NPS staff and other associates and I’m looking forward to another rewarding summer with a completely new project.

Maria Smith – Women’s Rights National Historical Park

My name is Maria Smith and I am from Romeo, Michigan. I am a current Anthropology Ph.D. Candidate at Syracuse University and am an alumnus of Western Michigan University (B.A. Anthropology & Spanish) and Syracuse University (M.A. Anthropology). I am excited to be the incoming ACE CRDIP 19th Amendment Media Assistant at the Women’s Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls, New York. I am looking forward to expanding and developing my skills to pursue a career in cultural resource management, heritage preservation, and public interpretation and education.

Sandhya Narayanan – Northeast Regional Office/Salem Maritime National Historical Site

Hi everyone! My name is Sandhya Narayanan (she/her), and I am excited to be part of the CRDIP cohort for this summer. I am originally from Canada, and spent most of my life growing up between Canada and in Boston, MA. Right now, I can proudly say that I have just completed my PhD in Linguistic and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Michigan. My PhD work was primarily in the Andes (in Peru and Bolivia) where I worked on indigenous language politics with Quechua and Aymara speakers in the highlands. I would say that my interest in cultural diversity, history, and the language that connects them both came from my own upbringing as a first-generation immigrant and also growing up within and without South Asian enclaves in the U.S. and Canada. From a really young age, I remember having to negotiate my understanding and knowledge of my family history, language, culture, and traditions with those histories as taught in school as written about in history books. Having to do this for most of my life also made me more interested in thinking how this worked, and how we could share those stories with others to bring about a better understanding of marginalized stories and histories. This summer I will be a Resource Assistant with Salem Maritime and Saugus Ironworks National Historic Sites, up in Massachusetts. Mainly, I will be working to build increased collaboration and engagements between these two historic sites with the local Nipmuc and Massachusett tribes, whose traditional lands both of these sites are located on. I am really excited to be doing this work back in a place that I grew up in. It has also been very inspiring to see how these sites can also be places to promote social justice through engaging in partnerships with indigenous and minority communities, and highlighting these efforts to educate the broader public. I look forward to sharing more about my adventures this summer with you all. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, teaching dance, and reading novels that are some combination of gossipy entertainment and society critique. The more gossipy…the better!

Sonya Carrizales – Yellowstone National Park

Hello, my name is Sonya Carrizales and I use she/her pronouns. I am originally from Wyoming, currently living in Massachusetts, and I’ve moved eleven places in between. I am a rising sophomore at Mount Holyoke College planning to major in Environmental Studies. This summer, I will be interning as an ACE CRDIP Women’s Historian at Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, MT. I decided to apply for the Women’s Historian position because of my passion for women’s rights and interest in exploring different careers within the National Park Service. My familial ties to Cody, WY and the surrounding Bighorn Basin have allowed me to visit Yellowstone a number of times growing up. I am excited to reconnect with Yellowstone and commemorate the unheard stories of women who have shaped Yellowstone’s history. I’m planning to take full advantage of the resources and expertise I will have available to me by learning from my on-site mentors while refining my research skills. Hopefully, I will discover my own passions, goals, and future within the National Park Service through rediscovering the legacies of women who came before me. After completing this incredible internship, I will continue to work towards my undergraduate degree and look for job opportunities in the fields of cultural preservation and environmental education.

Sabrina Gonzalez – Homestead National Monument of America
(She/Her) Hello! My name is Sabrina Gonzalez and I am from New Jersey. I am currently a senior at Rutgers University with a double major in history and political science. I will be receiving my B.A. this
December. Afterwards, I will be working towards my M.A. in American History. I am passionate about history because it is important to remember and preserve the members of our society
that have changed our way of life. With my ambition, I plan to become an Interpretation Ranger for a Historical National Park. I am proud to say that I will be spending my summer in Beatrice,
Nebraska as a Historian intern. I will be researching the vast connections between the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Suffrage Movement. This is in celebration of the 19th Amendment anniversary. I am lucky to say that this is my second term with American Conservation Experience. Last summer, I was an ACE Museum Technician at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. I was also accepted and attended the National Park Service Academy of 2020 that is partnered with ACE. I am thrilled to work with the NPS and ACE again and cannot wait to hear about everyone’s experience this summer!

Peter Woodruff – National Division Director: ACE EPIC, Emerging Professionals In Conservation

Hi there, I’ve been with ACE going on 7 years where I oversee all aspects of NPS partnership and management, ensuring that positive relationships continue.  I have a variety of conservation experiences from the field: backcountry patrol work in the Brooks Range and Yukon River of Alaska (NPS); environmental stewardship and education as an AmeriCorps member in Barnstable County, MA (DNR, NPS, and NGO land trusts); wildlife monitoring in the Sierras (Sequoia National Forest, USFS); and vegetation dynamics research in Chobe National Park, Botswana. When I’m not working with talented ACE EPIC Interns/Fellows and amazing NPS staff, I’m often found on the trail, beach, or enjoying some other form of outdoor fun.

Jen Wells – Recruitment Specialist, NPS Division: ACE EPIC

After graduating with a Biology degree from The College of New Jersey, I traveled cross country to work at Saguaro National Park through ACE as a Resource Management Intern. After falling in love with field work, I participated in another AmeriCorps term conducting vegetation surveys in National Parks and Monuments throughout Georgia and Florida. Then I accepted a position back in my home state with The Nature Conservancy to implement floodplain restoration projects and river water quality monitoring in northwest New Jersey. Jen is excited to return to ACE, helping others engage with and serve on public lands as a Recruitment Specialist. In my free time, I love to hike, volunteer at local animal shelters, and knit!

Paloma Bolasny – NPS Youth Programs Coordinator, Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science directorate 

Paloma works in the Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education as coordinator to several national internship programs, including the Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program (CRDIP) and the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) intern program.  In her 12 years with the NPS, Paloma has worked for the National Register of Historic Places and the Park History Program. Paloma looks forward to hearing from interns about their internship experience every year!  She is from Bethesda, Maryland and has a BA in history and historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA and a Masters in Historic Preservation from the University of Kentucky.  Outside of work Paloma volunteers as an adoption counselor with a local dog rescue organization. Contact: paloma_bolasny@nps.gov or 202-354-2174

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