Kyle Handke
MS History Portfolio
Applying Historical Research in Professional Practices and Civic Dialogues
During my time as an MS student, I have developed my historical research skills but have also learned how to apply them in non-academic environments. For a museum professional, it is essential to be able to communicate accurate information in a fun and engaging manner.
Some of these lessons were more conventional such as my internship at the Betsy-Tacy Society. However, there were other experiences that increased my knowledge of organizations and their interaction with the public. One such experience was my Nonprofit Leadership class (NPL 560). During this course I examined the structure and inner workings of non-profit organizations.
In addition to my responsibilities at the Betsy-Tacy Society, there were weekly assignments focusing on the operations component of museums. These included weekly reflective journals designed to consider how historical research skills were being applied at the internship. The course concluded with an essay on decolonizing museums and was guided by several secondary sources on the topic.
This experience has given me firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of a historical organization. My internship at the Betsy-Tacy Society has prepared me for a career in a museum by combining my historical research skills with an ability to communicate with the public.
Artifact 1
My final reflection for Nonprofit Leadership 560 was a summarization of my learning experiences from the course. This paper reflects the valuable lessons learned during this course with regard to the operations of an organization. These included what requirements organizations must meet in order to maintain their status as a nonprofit and how to engage with the public. Although this course was not historical in nature, it provided invaluable information about organizations. Fortunately, this course coincided with my internship. This provided an excellent opportunity to apply these lessons in a museum. The reflection for this course demonstrates my ability to merge historical knowledge with operational responsibilities.
Artifact 2
This essay on decolonizing museums was the final assignment for the coursework portion of my internship. It involved reading secondary sources pertaining to the recognition of colonization and what steps historians can take to decolonize their own work environments. This essay shows my readiness to identify and correct any disproportions in opinions and viewpoints by myself or others.