Meet Our Summer 2026 Interns
Each summer, the Richards Center sends Penn State undergraduate students to intern at Gettysburg National Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, where they get hands-on experience in public history.
These internships are both demanding and unique, allowing the students to develop programming based on their interests while also receiving specialized training in anything from mapping technology to historic weaponry. The internships also highly competitive. This year’s interns were selected through a rigorous process.
“This summer’s interns competed with dozens of other students for these roles,” said Sasha Coles, Richards Center Assistant Director for Undergraduate Internships. “The site staff and I were impressed with their application materials, letters of recommendation, and interviews. Their strong academic records and previous experience with collaborative projects, customer service, and independent research will serve them well in these positions.”
These opportunities are made possible through the generous support of Larry and Lynne Brown, Matthew Isham, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Meet the six students who will be spending their summer honing their skills and history knowledge!
The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress Intern
Paige Rishel is a Schreyer Honors Scholar and Paterno Fellow at Penn State studying Public Relations and History, with minors in American Sign Language and Digital Media Trends and Analytics. This summer, she will join the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress as an intern, where she looks forward to deepening her research skills and exploring the intersection of history and communication. She is excited to learn more about the opportunities her history degree can open.
Paige’s previous experience includes public relations internships at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Carnegie Mellon University’s AI institute. At Penn State, Paige serves as president of Phi Sigma Pi, is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, works at the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and does freelance photography in the State College area. She brings to her work a genuine curiosity about how stories get told and who gets to tell them.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Interns
Aidan Bealmear, a junior majoring in history with a minor in the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS), will be posted at Harpers Ferry. Aidan brings both enthusiasm for Civil War history and valuable visitor services experience to this role. Having grown up just outside Gettysburg, Aidan’s interest in history developed early and continues to shape his academic work.
Last summer, he worked at the Gettysburg visitor center, where he assisted large numbers of guests and shared his knowledge of the region’s nineteenth-century history. He is really excited for the chance to work hands on with professionals, make connections, and work with the public!
Thomas Flexer is a rising senior majoring in History and Asian Studies with a minor in Japanese. Thomas was attracted to the Harpers Ferry internship because he wants to develop more applicable skills within his major, whether that be interpretation or conducting public history. He is looking forward to immersing himself in the history of Harpers Ferry and exploring the area over the summer.
Gettysburg National Military Park interns
Kayla Hall is a fourth-year student, majoring in History and minoring in Art History and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies a, who will be working with museum services. While at Gettysburg this summer, Kayla hopes to become well acquainted with the inner workings of a museum and the effort museum professionals put into displaying and caring for their artifacts.
Kylie Hickoff is a freshman at Penn State heading into her sophomore year pursuing dual majors in Political Science and Communication Arts and Sciences. This summer, Kylie will be interning in the Interpretation sector at Gettysburg National Military Park.
Kylie views this internship as an exciting opportunity for her to explore and further develop her career path in advocating for the preservation of and funding for historical sites such as Gettysburg National Military Park. It also allows her to continue learning in an environment that has shaped her personal interests and academic goals.
Austin Wyrwas is a junior who is majoring in History and minoring in Anthropology and will be joining the Gettysburg cultural resources team. Austin‘s interest in history stems from wondering how we got to where we are in the modern day, and the American Civil War is an amazing point to study in the case of American History. He looks forward to the hands-on work involving historical artifacts.