During my second year of architecture school, I was searching for summer internships when I came across an email announcing the Rockefeller Archive Center’s summer internship. At first, I ignored it, thinking I would not be accepted and that it had no connection to architecture. At the same time, my studio course that semester focused on documenting and researching, which encouraged me to explore archives. Through my project, I realized how closely archiving and architecture are intertwined, and I understood how wrong my initial impression was. I went back to my email, searched through my inbox, and finally found the announcement again. Even though I still had doubts, I applied, feeling excited about the possibility of visiting the site in Sleepy Hollow. While preparing my project for my final studio review, an activation structure that tells and documents the stories of 135th Street in Harlem, I received an email from RAC saying I was accepted.
When I began the internship, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Marrissa made it very easy for me to feel comfortable and supported. My schedule was hybrid, which worked well because of the long commute I had to make from the Bronx to Tarrytown. I worked from Tuesday to Thursday, with Wednesday on-site. To get there, I rode the Metro-North train for the first time, and I came to enjoy these weekly trips, spending the trip time reading or drawing.
The first two weeks were for introducing the site and staff. One of the highlights for me was attending the Rockefeller Foundation’s Quarterly Staff Visit. Listening to Barb Shubinski’s presentation was inspiring and memorable. Her deep knowledge of the Rockefeller family’s history and the different eras of their corporate life really stood out to me and made me appreciate the RAC even more. That same day, I joined a tour of the RAC with the visitors. I learned the stories behind the paintings, sculptures, and furniture throughout the RAC. This experience opened my mind to the behind-the-scenes work and history of such organizations, as well as to the richness of the archival field.
For my internship project, I was given a choice of several topics, and I chose to create a guide for inputting organizational information into Wikidata. Wikidata is a multilingual knowledge base, and it is a Wikipedia sister page, linguistically simplified for computer use. At first, I had no prior knowledge of the web page, but as I learned more, the more curious I became. After studying Wikidata, I organized the information into a clear guide focused on entering organizational data. I later presented this guide to the Processing Team and it can now be used for future work.
This internship provided a variety of opportunities that allowed me to grow intellectually. Being introduced to the staff, visitors, and alumni from different backgrounds added to the overall experience. It also inspired me to see how archives can be connected to art and architecture, emphasizing the importance of looking back and learning from what came before us, and how this can spark new ideas and innovations. This is a lesson I will carry forward in my work.