Internship Funding Proposal -- Personal Statement -- Sample 2
The internship I hope to undertake this summer with the Chief Archaeologist at the
Maryland State Highway Administration will be a very exciting and educational experience.
Previous to this internship, my archaeological experience consists of a two week field school
with the Speaker’s House, in Collegeville, PA. For two weeks I used simple excavating
techniques to uncover the foundation of a wall from a general store attached to the house of
Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the House of Representatives. By the end of this
school year, I will have taken five archaeology courses: Introduction to Near Eastern and
Egyptian Archaeology, Classical Myths in Art, Geoarchaeology, Show and Spectacle in Ancient
Greece and Rome, and Method and Theory in Archaeology.
My hope is that this internship will assist me in gaining more practical knowledge of
modern archaeological applications as well as reinforce their historical and cultural importance. I
hope to learn more advanced excavating techniques and a system for cataloging and handling
artifacts. My main interest in this specific internship and this particular organization is due to the
association it has with the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA). When I came
across the article in the Baltimore Sun a few months ago about Chief Archaeologist Julie
Schablitsky, I was amazed to find that the MSHA employs not only one but twelve
archaeologists. I am very excited to see what they do every day to determine a site’s historic
significance, and how important it is. I think it will be incredibly interesting to see how planned
state projects are affected by historical buildings or sites, and how the state values historical
sites.
As an Archeology Major at Bryn Mawr, this internship would be a great opportunity for
me to apply my knowledge in a practical setting. All of my classes in the field so far have been
fascinating, and I’m greatly looking forward to being able to gain more practical experience. I
Internship Funding Proposal -- Personal Statement -- Sample 2
also intend on pursuing a minor in Geology, which I think has a relevance to this internship,
especially as it pertains to construction projects by the Maryland State Highway Administration.
After graduating from Bryn Mawr, my goal is to attend Graduate School for archaeology,
and from there obtain a job as an archaeologist. Previously, I would have thought this could only
mean employment by a historical society or a university. Beginning with the article in the
Baltimore Sun and ideally continuing with this prospective internship my interest in the field and
knowledge of the opportunities for an archaeologist will be greatly expanded.
My interest in archaeology initially stemmed from a love of history. I have always been
fascinated with the ancient civilizations of the Greeks, Romans, Mayans, and Incas. With a little
help from my favorite dinosaur skeleton models and the heroic Indiana Jones, the idea of being
an archaeologist was planted in my head. It really took form, however, in the summer of 2006
when I was lucky enough to travel to France, Italy, and Greece with a program called People to
People, Student Ambassadors. My favorite places were the Athenian Acropolis, the Colosseum,
Olympia, and in the lead by far was the city of Pompeii. Seeing all the fabulous architecture,
sculpture and art left behind by people hundreds and hundreds of years ago is such an
overwhelming feeling. Walking through the streets of Pompeii was one of the greatest things I
have ever experienced. Looking at the supports of their temples and houses, seeing the mosaics
on their floors and the graffiti on their walls, I could feel a powerful connection to the people
who had lived there in another age, and to all the people who have walked through their streets
since. Last summer, when working at the Speaker’s House, I could feel this connection again.
When I dug a piece of pearlware china out of the dirt, I felt like I was meeting the woman who
used it to make dinner, and the family it had served. I could feel a story inside of it, and that
Internship Funding Proposal -- Personal Statement -- Sample 2
feeling – the feeling of connection to the whole human race throughout history – is, in my
mind, unmatched.