Greetings and Salutations! My name is Trisha Patterson. I am a senior at the University of Central Florida. Although fascinated by the evolution of western civilization, I am mostly interested in United States history from the founding through the Civil War and Reconstruction. This semester I get to put my major into action with Dr. Patricia Farless at the Florida Conference of Historians. Through the editorial internship, I will get professional experience with editing and source citations. In addition to honing writing skills, knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style is essential to the student of history. The opportunity for real world experience is a win-win to not only become a better student, but to practice useful transferrable skills.
The fall of 2020 marked my first semester at UCF and the first time I used footnotes with the Chicago Manual of Style. Diving headlong in a research intensive course with Dr. Farless, History of American Law, I was nervous but ready to embark on becoming a student of history. With much patience and guidance on her part, I was able to navigate my way through a research paper on Prosperity in Pennsylvania: Education, Economics, and the Women’s Call to Action. From there, I decided to take another course with Dr. Farless, Atlantic Revolutions from 1848-1920, where we had the opportunity to role play the Mexican Revolution, a lot of fun! After these experiences and a semester later, I knew I could not say no when Dr. Farless approached me about an editorial internship. As someone who often struggles with finding the right the words as well as searching for the right citations, I am excited about the opportunity to read the works of others.
If all things go to plan, I will complete my undergraduate degree in the Summer of 2022. The desire to go on to graduate school is brewing, but as an older student with a family, those plans could get placed on hold. After graduation, I am unsure if I will teach or pursue a career outside of the field. As a student of history, I have learned to analyze information, make evidenced based arguments, and think more critically. Although that is not all that I have learned, it is just a start. History is not just centuries of facts, it is the story of us all, the human race. Here's to the journey and a behind the scenes glimpse into the work of an undergraduate editorial internship!