As a Berkeley senior, I spent my last semester in DC as a Matsui Fellow. This experience has truly helped me jumpstart my professional career in the museum field. I interned with the National Collections Program (NCP) within the Smithsonian Institution during the UCDC program, and was asked to stay on for an additional six months after the semester ended. With the help of the Matsui Fellowship, I am better able to serve the public as a cultural steward caring for collections within the Smithsonian museums. At the NCP, I assist staff with behind-the-scenes work at the Smithsonian, such as professional development, collections-based emergency response and training, as well as updating Smithsonian policy. My favorite part of working with NCP is that every day, I get to work with some of the foremost museum professionals and experts in the museum field today, all striving to be the best stewards of our national treasures for future generations to enjoy.
February 26, 2020