CWI Student Historians

Julia Ciccone is a Junior from Lawrenceville, New Jersey majoring in History with a minor in Public History. For the past two summers, she has served as Brian C. Pohanka Intern, working with the division of interpretation at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (2025) and Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (2026). She is very excited to continue participating in the Fellows program as well as beginning a position as a CWI Student Office Assistant. Beyond the Civil War Institute, she is currently the President for Sigma Alpha Iota, the school’s music service fraternity, and plays trumpet in multiple instrumental ensembles within the Sunderman Conservatory of Music. She is also an active member of the Gettysburg College History Club and works at the Majestic Theater. She looks forward to all that she will experience in the program this year!

Michael Cox is a Senior from Fallston, Maryland, studying History and Political Science with a minor in Civil War Era Studies. At Gettysburg, he has been involved with Phi Alpha Theta, the Civil War Institute, Special Collections & College Archives, the Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era, and more. Michael will dearly miss the Fellows as he graduates in December and attends law school next fall.

Brayden Danbury is a sophomore from Yardley, Pennsylvania, majoring in History and minoring in Civil War Era Studies and Public History. On campus, in addition to being a CWI Fellow, he is the President of the Men's Volleyball Club, a Gettysburg Athletics photographer, and a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. This past summer, he was a Brian C. Pohanka intern with the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, where he assisted with the development of the historic Mifflin Farm as it becomes a new visitor destination. Brayden is excited to continue learning about the Civil War Era, as he hopes to have a career in the Public History field.

Grace Dies is a Junior from Akron, Ohio, who is majoring in Anthropology and Music and minoring in Public History. She has been a Brian C. Pohanka intern for two summers. Grace has worked in the interpretation division of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in 2025 and at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in 2026. This year, Grace is working as a student office assistant for the Civil War Institute. Outside of the Civil War Institute, she is a member of the Sunderman Conservatory of Music (playing flute/piccolo in many ensembles) and the Sergeant-At-Arms for Sigma Alpha Iota (the school's music fraternity). She also works as a concert stage manager and a music ambassador. This is Grace's second year as a Civil War Institute fellow, and she is excited to continue learning and being a part of the program.

Drew DiStasi is a Sophomore from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a historic town minutes from the battle site of Lexington and Concord. He is an Environmental Science major and a Civil War Studies minor. He was a participant in the CWI’s First Year Experience Program last year. Drew is an active member of Phi Gamma Delta, and has a leadership chair in Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. Drew spends much of his free time on the battlefield taking in the history that surround this campus and is looking forward to another year of the CWI Fellowship program!

Cantlin Dunlap is a sophomore from Mechanicsburg, PA, double majoring in History and Political Science. Over the summer of 2026, he volunteered at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine with the Fort McHenry Guard, participating in living history demonstrations and interacting with park guests. Cantlin is an Army ROTC Cadet and an officer in the Alexander Hamilton Society, which is a student-run group that focuses on foreign affairs. He is hoping to earn an internship with the National Park Service this upcoming summer.

Brandon Fey is a senior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pursuing a double major in history and international affairs with minors in French and economics. He has worked as a historical interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Bucks County, PA, and as a tilemaker and tour guide at the historic Tileworks of Bucks County tile factory in Doylestown. He also has experience working as program staff at the Founding Forward civics organization in Valley Forge. Brandon also works as a volunteer park ambassador at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. At Gettysburg College, he serves as editor-in-chief of the Gettysburgian student newspaper, an associate editor of the Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era, a peer research mentor in the Musselman Library, and a peer learning associate for the history and French departments.

Thomas Geuther is a Sophomore at Gettysburg College from Wantage, New Jersey. He is majoring in History and minoring in Spanish. This past summer, he served as the Brian C. Pohanka intern for Musselman Library's Special Collections & College Archives. He also volunteers with Gettysburg College's El Centro afterschool program. He is excited to continue with the CWI and to work more in the Public History field.

Harlyn Gray is a Senior at Gettysburg College from Dresden, New York. She is majoring in History and Anthropology, and minoring in Civil War Era Studies and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. She is a member of Eta Sigma Phi, the national honorary society for Classical studies. She currently serves as the Vice President of the 26th Pennsylvania College Guard (also known as the College’s Civil War Reenacting Club). This past summer, she interned at the Gettysburg National Military Park through the Civil War Institute’s funded internship program. She researched, wrote, and presented programs to the public about Civil War artillery and the Soldier’s National Cemetery at Gettysburg. She is excited to bring her new knowledge about the Civil War to her final year in the Fellows!

Binh Hoffman is a sophomore from Newton, MA. He is majoring in History with Civil War Era Studies and Public History minors. Prior to starting at Gettysburg College, he spent 3 years volunteering and one summer as a Youth Conservation Corps member at Boston National Historical Park where he also spent this past summer as a Brian C. Pohanka Intern. He is excited to continue his public history journey over the next few years at Gettysburg.

Henna Neilson is a sophomore from Connecticut. She is double majoring in English and History and minoring in Educational Studies, with the intent to pursue a career in elementary education. She participated in the CWI First Year Experience Program last year and is excited to continue her work as a Fellow. Outside of academics, Henna works as a campus tour guide for the Gettysburg College admissions office. She is also the Service Vice President for Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. Henna enjoys volunteering regularly with the Center for Public Service and is passionate about promoting history education for young learners.

Grace Sewell is a sophomore from Long Island, New York. She is double-majoring in History and English. Grace volunteers with her local historical society to help plan and run children’s programming about colonial Long Island. At Gettysburg, Grace works as a tutor at the Writing Center. She is also an active member of and historian for the Gettysburg College Choir and a DJ for the college radio. Grace loved being a part of the First Year Experience Program last year, and is looking forward to learning more through the Civil War Institute.

Marcy Zimmer is a senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who is majoring in history and minoring in Civil War Era Studies, Public History, and Education Studies. Marcy has interned through the Funded Internship Program at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and Antietam National Battlefield. Last summer, she spent her first season in the National Park Service at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania as a Park Guide. She is the co-editor-and-chief of the Gettysburg College Historical Journal and is in her third year as a Civil War Fellow. She published several articles about the Civil War with a variety of organizations such as Military Images and Savas Beatie. Marcy hopes to continue to take her passion for the Civil War and public history into a career with the National Park Service.

Andrew Astley ’16 is a permanent Park Guide at Martin Van Buren NHS in Kinderhook, New York. As an undergraduate, Andrew interned at the Wood Museum of Springfield History and Andersonville NHS. Before landing his current position, he worked seasonally for the National Park Service for several years.

Craig Battisfore ’78 is the Vice President, General Manager of the Popular Business Unit for E. & J. Gallo Winery. Prior to Gallo, Craig worked in sales for the Johnson & Johnson Baby Products Company and was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hi-Tec Sports USA,

Shaw Bridges ’15 worked after graduation as an AP US History and AP US Government teacher and dorm faculty at the Knox School in St James, NY. He is now pursuing a Ph,D. in History at the University of Georgia, and hopes to one day teach at the college level.

Bryan Caswell ’15 completed a Master of Studies program at the University of Oxford studying Global and Imperial History in 2016. Bryan is now employed by Cardinal Education in Burlingame, CA as a full-time Educational Consultant. Cardinal Education is the premier educational consultancy in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering admissions consulting, standardized test preparation, and one-on-one tutoring. (CWES)

Heather Clancy ’15 is currently employed by Pack Health as an Editorial Supervisor. After graduation from Gettysburg, Heather worked as a Senior Consultant for Cardinal Education, the premier educational consultancy in the San Francisco Bay Area, and earned a Graduate Certificate in Copyediting from UC San Diego Extension. (CWES)

Abigail Cocco ’19 is Assistant Attorney General for Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After graduation from Gettysburg, Abigail earned a J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she worked as a certified legal intern in the Temple Legal Aid Office, and after graduation, as a law clerk at Galfand Berger, LLP.

Camryn Counsil ’25 is is a Historic Interpreter with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Museums, Preservation, & Historic Resources division, where she is responsible for researching and developing the interpretation of four buildings undergoing significant historic preservation work, for the purpose of providing visitors an opportunity to see preservation work in progress. Camryn is a 2025 alumnus of the Historic Deerfield Summer Fellowship Program.

Jake Farias ’16 is Assistant Director of Telemarketing at Boston College, where he oversees the student caller team. Jake previously served as a Teaching Fellow at Nativity Preparatory School of New Bedford (Massachusetts), an independent, tuition-free middle school for boys from low-income families.

Sam Gilvarg ’15 has turned his dual interests in history and natural resource management into a career in fire management with the Northeast Regional of the National Park Service. He has previously been employed as a Biological Science Technician on the Fire Ecology crew at Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park and held AmeriCorps internships with the Massachusetts Student Conservation Association and the Barnstable County AmeriCorps, exploring fire ecology at Cape Cod National Seashore.

Amelia Grabowski ’13 works for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as a member of the web team. She was previously employed at Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, where she was responsible for planning and programming at the newly-opened Clara Barton’s Missing Soldiers’ Office. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Humanities from Brown University in 2015. Amelia has worked on the Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s Tour and Discussion program, the Guantanamo Public Memory Project, projects for two different state humanities councils, and several community-based oral history projects centering on issues of social justice. In recognition of her accomplishments in the field, she was awarded Brown University’s Master’s Award for Engaged Citizenship and Community Service in 2015.

Christopher Gwinn ’06 is Chief of Interpretation and Education at Gettysburg National Military Park. Gwinn holds an M.A. in Public History, and has worked extensively for the National Park Service at sites such as Antietam National Battlefield, Boston National Historical Park, and the National Mall and Memorial Parks. (CWES)

Jaeger Held ’22 is a Park Ranger at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. He previously held seasonal positions at Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS and St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. A native of Montana, Jaeger led the effort to ensure that Union soldiers killed during the Powder River Campaign received headstones from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and served as the state's youngest delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2020. (CWES & Public History)

Gabby Hornbeck ’13 is a permanent Park Guide at Boston National Historical Park. Gabby earned a MA in History (Public History concentration) from West Virginia University in 2015, and previously held seasonal positions at Death Valley National Park, Adams National Historic Site, and Governor’s Island National Monument. (CWES)

Brian Matthew Jordan ’09 received his Ph.D. in History from Yale University in 2013, and is Associate Professor of History and Chair of the History Department at Sam Houston State University. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves (2023); A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment's Civil War (2021);The War Went On: Reconsidering the Lives of Civil War Veterans (2020) and Marching Home: Union Veterans and Their Unending Civil War (Liveright/W.W. Norton, 2015), which was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in History. (CWES)

Connor Joyce '25 is a Park Ranger at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. Prior to his arrival in Kentucky, he was a Park Guide at Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota, where he established the park’s first-ever audio tour for the National Park Service Mobile App. During his time at Jewel Cave, he served at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 4th, 2025, specializing in the American Civil War and working alongside an Abraham Lincoln Presidential reenactor.

Brianna (Kirk) Frakes ’15 is an assistant professor in the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at the Ohio State University. She is an historian of the Civil War era, with an emphasis on the military, social, and political dimensions of the Civil War and Reconstruction years. Her research and teaching interests center around how Americans understand the change that inevitability comes after conflict. Her first book, No Safety for Union Men, examines this by focusing on the on-the-ground experience of Union military occupation in Virginia during the Civil War and Reconstruction years, and will be published by Fordham University Press in its “Reconstructing America” series. (CWES)

Garrett Kost ’21 is a Park Guide at Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, where he presents a range of historically-themed programming for visitors and oversees the site's social media accounts. He previously worked as a Park Ranger at the National Mall and a historical interpreter at Number 9 Coal Mine and Museum. (CWES & Public History)

Rachel (Santose) Koenig '11 completed a dual Master's degreeprogram in History and Library Science at Indiana University in 2013, and is now Research & Education Librarian at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Prior to accepting her current position, Rachel worked as the Instruction & Assessment Librarian and College Archivist at SUNY Canton, a Reference Assistant at the Herman B Wells Library (IU Bloomington), a Graduate Assistant at Wylie House Museum, and a historical interpreter at Hale Farm & Village, where she developed a new program on the Ladies Aid Society of Cleveland, Ohio and their crucial volunteer work during the American Civil War.

Matt LaRoche ’17 is a Ph.D. student in History at University of Virginia, where is affiliated with the Nau Center for Civil War History and pursuing research on the role of veteran status during Reconstruction. He earned a MA in History and a MLIS from University of Maryland, College Park in 2023. Matt has been a William Waxter Intern at Preservation Maryland and was the recipient of a 400 Years of African American History in Maryland Fellowship to continue his research on Underground Railroad sites across Maryland. As part of the fellowship, Matt prepared nominations to the NPS Network to Freedom for several properties. He has also worked as an historical consultant for the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, specializing in digital history. (CWES)

Stephen Light ’05 currently works for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation as Manager of House Tours at Monticello, where he is responsible for assisting with the training, mentoring, and evaluation of interpretive staff and for assessing interpretive materials and experiences. Stephen previously worked as manager of museum programs at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, and as a museum educator at the Columbia County Historical Society (NY). He received his master’s degree in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in 2008.

Yaou Liu ’14 worked with elementary school students from immigrant families at Match Community Day charter school before earning her teaching credentials – as well as a masters degree in education – from Stanford University. A native of Xiangtan, China, she now serves as a 3^rd grade Mandarin/English bilingual teacher at College Park Elementary, a public dual immersion bilingual school in San Mateo, California.

Avery Lentz ’14 is a Park Ranger at Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick, Md., and a graduate of the Applied History MA program at Shippensburg University. He has previously worked for Advantage Solutions, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. (CWES)

Brian W. Martin ’83 served as President and Chief Operating Officer of History Associates, a historical consulting firm that provides a wide range of services for corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations worldwide. Brian earned a master's degree in applied history and social science and a Ph.D. in history and policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Over the course of his career, he has developed research plans and led projects examining historical developments in the chemical, petroleum, aerospace, nuclear, metals, electrical, transportation, and other industries.

Maci Mark ’21 is currently serving as an SCA Intern in Digital Humanities and Innovation at Boston National Historical Park. They earned a MA in Public History and an Archives certificate from University of Massachusetts Boston in 2023, and previously served as a historical interpreter at the Paul Revere House and Boston African American NHS. Maci is the creator of "Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love," a pioneering tour of Boston's queer history. (Public History)

Jeff Martin ’18 is a historical interpreter in New Jersey's Wharton State Forest. He earned a MA in Public History at Appalachian State University, and previously worked at Manassas NBP and Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. (CWES & Public History)

Melanie Fernandes McKenzie ’16 is living on Cape Cod, where she works as Director of the Eastham Public Library. Prior to her appointment to the position, she served as the library's Access & Technology Services Librarian, with responsibility for selecting and implementing new technologies, coordinating reference services, and managing the library's local history collections. She holds a Masters degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons University.

Megan McNish ’16 is Eastern Region Community Preservation Coordinator with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. She previously worked as Associate Planner in Design Preservation for the city of Columbia, South Carolina, and as a seasonal park ranger at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP. Megan earned a Masters degree in Public History from West Virginia University in 2018. (CWES & Public History)

Val Merlina '14 served as a seasonal Park Ranger at Governors Island National Monument in New York City after graduation, then went on to earn their J.D. and Global Studies certificate (Gaeilge & politics of Northern Ireland) in their hometown at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2017.  During law school, Val completed internships with the Pittsburgh Federal Public Defenders, the Abolitionist Law Center, the Pitt Law Health Law Clinic, the United Steelworkers Legal Department, externed under Member of Parliament of Kosovo (now first female Prime Minister of Kosovo) Vjosa Osmani, and was offered an externship at the Belfast, Northern Ireland-based Committee for the Administration of Justice. Val served as an assistant editor for JURIST Legal News Commentary, traveled as a committee delegate to Havana and Santiago de Cuba as part of the National Lawyers' Guild Labor & Employment Committee, and was awarded Pitt Law's Pro Bono Service Recognition Award, Community Service Award, and the Wohlmuth Award. Most recently, Val was a labor organizer at United Steelworkers, where they were part of the teams assisting workers win union campaigns for the United Museum Workers of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh. (CWES)

Brad Miller ’13 is Preservation Manager for Maine Preservation, a nonprofit member-based, statewide historic preservation organization. Prior to his move to Maine, he worked as a Community Preservation Specialist with Indiana Landmarks. Brad earned a Master’s Degree in Public History at Middle Tennessee State University in 2015, with a concentration in Historic Preservation.

Amber Moulton ’02 is Associate Director for Research at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, where she leads the organization's emergent human rights research program. She received a Ph.D. in African and African American Studies from Harvard University in 2011, and previously taught at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Northeastern University, and Harvard University. Her first book, The Fight for Interracial Marriage Rights in Antebellum Massachusetts, was published by Harvard University Press in 2015.

Emma Murphy-Novak ’15 earned a MA in History with a Public History concentration at the University of West Georgia, and currently works as a Park Ranger at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. She has previously held Park Guide positions at Vicksburg NMP, Andrew Johnson NHS and Gettysburg NMP. (CWES)

Jonathan Neu ’07 earned a Ph. D. in History from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018. His dissertation was entitled “From Civil War to Civic Reform: Grand Army Veterans in the Progressive Era, 1890 – 1920.” Jonathan is currently an Editorial Associate at SAE International, and previously worked as the Archives & Education Intern at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum. (CWES)

Tim Orr ’01 is an Associate Professor of History at Old Dominion University, where he teaches classes in 19^th-century America and Civil War history. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he received his Ph.D. from Penn State University. Prior to his arrival at ODU, he worked for 8 years as a seasonal park ranger at Gettysburg NMP. His first book, “Last to Leave the Field”: The Life and Letters of First Sergeant Ambrose Henry Hayward, Company D, 28th, was published by the University of Tennessee Press in 2010. His most recent work, a book co-written with N. Jack “Dusty” Kleiss and Laura Lawfer Orr entitled Never Call Me A Hero: A Legendary American Dive Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway, was published by Harper Collins in May, 2017. (CWES)

Thomas Paone ’07 is a Museum Specialist at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, where he curates the museum’s lighter-than-air collection, which includes balloons, blimps, and airships. He has worked on several exhibits, including Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting from Here to There, the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall and the reimagined Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight and World War I exhibitions He holds a MA in American History from George Mason University. (CWES)

Sean Parke ’10 obtained a MS in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons College in August 2014. After graduation, he worked as a Circulation and Technical Services Assistant for the Trumbull Library System, before accepting a position as University Archivist at the University of Hartford.

Jared Peatman ’02 earned a Ph.D. in history at Texas A & M.  His dissertation on the legacy of the Gettysburg Address was awarded the 2012 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize and was published in revised form in 2013 by Southern Illinois University Press under the title The Long Shadow of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Jared is Founding Director of Four Score Consulting, LLC, which provides history-based leadership development programs for governmental and business leaders, and is at work on a book about the 20th Maine at Gettysburg.

Savannah Rose ’17 used her Pohanka internship at Gettysburg NMP as a stepping stone to two summers of employment as a seasonal ranger at the park. After receiving her Master's degree in History (Public History concentration) from West Virginia University, she accepted a position as a Park Guide at Independence National Historical Park. (CWES & Public History)

Jacob Ross ’15 is Supervisory Park Ranger at Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites in Hyde Park, NY. He previously worked as Lead Interpreter at Jimmy Carter NHP and as a Visitor Guide at the US Capitol, and held seasonal interpretive positions at Appomattox Court House NHP, Adams NMP, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Vicksburg NMP and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (CWES)

Evan Rothera ’10 is Assistant Professor of History at University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and the author of Civil Wars and Reconstructions in the Americas: The United States, Mexico, and Argentina, 1860-1880 (LSU Press, 2022). He is also co-author of The War Went On: Reconsidering the Lives of Civil War Veterans (LSU, 2020), jointly authored with fellow Gettysburg College alumnus Brian Jordan. He earned his Ph.D. in History from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017 and previously served as Lecturer in History at Sam Houston State University. (CWES)

Benjamin Roy ’21 is a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at University of Georgia. He is currently researching tobacco usage during the long 19th century and its various intersections with racial, social, and gender identities. (CWES & Public History)

Becky (Oakes) Ryer ’13 is a Digital Media Specialist with the US Patent and Trademark Office. She previously worked as Chief of Interpretation at Martin Van Buren National Historical Park, and as a Park Ranger at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Becky earned a MA in History (Public History concentration) from West Virginia University in 2015, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D in 19^th-century US History. (CWES)

Robert Sandow ’92 grew up in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, where family trips to its famous battlefields sparked a lifelong passion for Civil War history. In 1993, Sandow earned a Ph. D. in history from the Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State University. His research specialties include the Northern home front during the Civil War, with particular interest in issues of dissent, partisan politics and opposition. He is Professor of History at the Lock Haven University campus of Commonwealth University, and author of Deserter Country: Civil War Opposition in the Pennsylvania Appalachians (2011).

Cameron Sauers '21 is a Ph.D student in History and African American Studies at Penn State University, where he holds a Robinson Fellowship in American History. Cameron is exploring a dissertation topic relating to the intersection of disability and race in the 19th century US. He earned a MA in History from University of Kentucky, writing his thesis on the Freedmen's Bureau's administration of land reform in South Carolina. (CWES & Public History)

Darby (Nisbett) Schini ’20 earned her MLIS degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and now works as Deputy Director of Reference Services at the Maryland State Archives, where she coordinates research appointments, fulfills record orders, works the Circulation/Research desk, and answers reference and research questions.

Steven Semmel ’16 earned a MA in History (Public History concentration) from West Virginia University, where he also worked as a Research Services Graduate Assistant. After several seasons as a seasonal ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park, Steven accepted a position as a Library Technician at the US Army Heritage & Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (CWES & Public History)

Jennifer Simone ’18 used her Pohanka internship at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP as a stepping stone to two summers of employment as a Family & Youth Activities interpreter for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she facilitated children’s historical games at CWF’s Patriots at Play location. Following her graduation from Gettysburg, Jennifer accepted a position as a social studies teacher at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, New Jersey.

Chris Sniezek ’17 continued his study of the Civil War Era at Mississippi State University, from which he earned a MA in History in 2019. He currently manages the museum gift shop at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, where in addition to inventory and supervisory responsibilities, he conducts research for the museum's blog. (CWES & Public History)

Becca (Duffy) Stasiunas ’16 followed her passion for collections and curation to the Winterthur Graduate Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware, to which she returned after graduation as the Sewell C. Biggs Curatorial Fellow. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Art History at UDel, and previously served as Curator of Education at the Read House & Gardens in Historic New Castle, Delaware. (Public History)

Michele Seabrook Streeter ’13 is Communications Manager at Education Finance Council, a national trade association representing nonprofit and state agency student loan organizations. From 2014-15, she worked as Communications Coordinator at the Civil War Trust, where she was responsible for coordinating the Trust’s media strategy, organizing press conferences with high level officials, serving as first point of contact for the Trust, writing and editing content for the quarterly magazine Hallowed Ground, and helping with state, local, and federal policy work.

Keith Swaney ’04 is an archives and records management specialist at the New York State Archives in Albany, NY, where he works in the access and research services program areas. Keith earned a Master of Library and Information Science and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Maryland in 2007. He has worked in a variety of library and archival programs since graduating from Gettysburg College, including the Gettysburg College Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, and New York State Archives. Keith has written and spoken publicly on web usability in the state government context, statewide access to archival resources in New York, and the use of historical records in high school and college classrooms.

Logan Tapscott ’14 earned a master’s degree in Applied History at Shippensburg University, and second Master’s in Library and Information Science through Clarion University’s online program. Logan has held positions at the Library of Congress, the Coast Guard Historian’s Office, and Arlington House – The Robert E. Lee Memorial, and is currently employed as a librarian as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives National Laboratory Center Library. (CWES)

Jon Tracey ’19 is Cultural Resource Program Manager at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. In this role, he works to research and preserve the unique partnership park's cultural resources. Jon earned a MA in History with a concentration in Public History from West Virginia University in 2021. (CWES & Public History)

Erica Uszak '22 used her Pohanka Internship in 2020 at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park as a stepping stone towards a seasonal interpretative position at that same park. After Fredericksburg, she worked as a Park Ranger for three seasons at Gettysburg National Military Park. She earned her MA in Public History and certificate in Cultural Resource Management from West Virginia University in 2024. She is now the Technical Information Specialist for the Architecture team at the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Training Center.

Pete Vermilyea ’94 teaches history at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, CT and at Western Connecticut State University. Pete is the author or editor of more than a dozen articles and books on the Civil War era, including "The Effect of the Confederate Invasion of Pennsylvania on Gettysburg's African American Community" which appeared in Gettysburg Magazine in 2001. Pete was recognized as Connecticut’s History Teacher of the Year and as Connecticut Region One teacher of the year.

Daniel J. Willever ’12 is a social studies teacher at Ramsey High School in Bergen County, New Jersey. He currently teaches United States history and Advanced Placement Human Geography to high school juniors and seniors. Dan is a recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award, which recognizes the most impressive early-to-mid career educators in the country, and has played a key role in encouraging several of his students to choose Gettysburg College for their own studies. Dan earned a MA in History & Culture from Drew University. (CWES)

Abigail Winston ’19 is Development Events Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. A double major in History and Music, Abigail previously served as Concerts Manager at The Phillips Collection, a modern art museum in Washington, D.C, where she oversaw the institution's weekly classical music series.  (Public History)

Joy Zanghi ’21 is Archivist for the Archdiocese of Boston. She earned a Masters degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons University in 2023, and previously served as Published Materials Department Assistant at Schlesinger Library, Harvard University.