Where are you from?
I am from Orlando, Florida! Most recently I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and before that in Gainesville, Florida, both wonderful cities.
Where do you/did you attend school? Share with us the city/town, what you
are majoring in, what your academic interests are?
I just graduated from the Clemson University/College of Charleston joint program with my MS in Historic Preservation. The program is based in Charleston, South Carolina, which was a beautiful city to get a hands-on and varied preservation experience! Although I did not focus on any particular aspect of historic preservation while I was there, I definitely have a soft spot for conservation and landscapes. My thesis, “The Industrial Landscape of Charleston from 1884 to 1955”, mapped the locations of types of industries as well as other attributes, such as building materials and building size, to start to put together a more realistic historic landscape of Charleston than what is generally assumed. I completed my undergrad at the University of Florida, where I studied History and Theatre. My capstone paper was about the transition of the Cross Florida Barge Canal to the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway.
What are your career goals?
I do not have any specific goals yet, there is just too much I want to do, but I would like to help places preserve and manage their historic resources! Grad school and previous jobs have introduced me to a lot of different aspects of preservation and I am excited to see what is out there and find where I fit in!
Outside of school and work what are your hobbies and/or interests?
I enjoy hiking and I have recently gotten into rock climbing! I also knit and crochet—I am currently working on a blanket for a wedding gift—and play lots of tug with my dog, Junie! This summer I would like to get back into painting and drawing.
What is your internship project focus? Explain what you will be doing, which
parks/partners will you be working with? Who is your mentor at the Olmsted Center?
My internship project is to make a best practices guiding document for managing turf in historic cemeteries. Some turf maintenance practices, like the use of large mowers or certain fertilizers, can be damaging to stone monuments if not done carefully, so my project will identify safe practices that balance the conservation of the grave markers and monuments with healthy turf management. My mentor for the project is Michael Stachowicz and I also have an advisory group of other knowledgeable members of the field who will help guide the work. I am really excited for the research and to hopefully produce something that will be helpful to parks!
Why did you choose to participate in a Designing the Parks Internship? How is your internship hosted?
I chose to participate in a Designing the Parks internship because of the opportunity to learn from experts in the Park Service. I was also really drawn to the project itself! In my first few weeks, I have appreciated the opportunity to connect with the OCLP staff and the other DTP interns. My internship is hosted by NCPE.
What are you looking forward to learning or exploring during your internship?
I am excited to explore the interdisciplinary nature of historic preservation through this project and to learn a bit more about how parks function and manage cultural and natural resources! I also came into the project knowing very little about turf, so I am excited to learn more about it and its management.
What types of opportunities will Designing the Parks provide you with?
This project will provide me with the opportunity to understand how conservation projects are undertaken in the Park Service and to learn more about how the NPS operates. I am excited to learn about parks’ resource management. Additionally, this position will provide opportunities to network with some really great professionals.
Designing the Parks 