Week 12 - Final Post

Today marked a significant milestone for me and my fellow interns as we gathered for the Internship Showcase over Zoom. As we proudly presented our work on the Olustee project, the event became a testament to the power of historical preservation and the impact of recognizing the forgotten heroes of the past.

The Olustee project aims to shed light on a pivotal but often overlooked event in American history - the Battle of Olustee during the Civil War - but our mission was to honor the brave Union men who lost their lives in that battle, ensuring their sacrifices were not buried in the annals of time. Though the task seemed daunting, each one of us was driven by a passion for history and the desire to contribute to a meaningful cause.

While our group took the stage, it was encouraging to see the listening and interested faces of our peers and professors. We were able to share our methods, rewards, and challenges with the audience, and the creation of the presentation itself was a fun, collaborative experience.

However, the true essence of the Internship Showcase lay in the reciprocal nature of the event. After our presentation, we had the privilege of hearing about the experiences of other UCF interns who had worked on various projects - it was heartening to see how the pursuit of public history brought us all together!

Despite the constraints of time of a summer internship, we managed to make a, what I believe is, tangible impact on the Olustee project. From a single-paragraph biography to a verifiable data point, we had contributed to a broader tapestry of historical knowledge. The realization that we were part of something bigger, preserving history for future generations, instilled in us a sense of fulfillment and pride that cannot be put into words.

As the Internship Showcase concluded, I felt a mix of emotions - a sense of accomplishment, gratitude for the opportunity, and a newfound understanding of the profound significance of historical research. Our journey with the Olustee project may have come to an end, but its legacy will live on, both in the records we unearthed and in the hearts of those who can now know the story of the brave black and white Union men who fought valiantly in the Battle of Olustee.

And now for the final paper!

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