My Experience with the Notable Women of Wayne County
This past fall, I had the opportunity to work as an intern for Wayne County Public Library’s Genealogy Department. I was asked to explore the department’s wiki page and do some research to contribute to its development. Eventually, I came across the page about the Notable Women of Wayne County and I quickly realized that the page was empty and there was no accessible information about the topic. I was immediately inspired to add information this page. Because it was difficult for me to come up with individuals to include in my project, Deb Kitko, head of the Genealogy Department, gave me a list of influential women of Wayne County as a starting point for my research. I used the resources available in the genealogy department as well as the Special Collections Department at the College of Wooster in order to compile the information for the wiki. Throughout my experience, I did encounter some complications that resulted in valuable learning experiences. The mechanics of the wiki were new to me and were somewhat difficult to grasp initially. I eventually got the hang of the wiki and was able to put the information I had gathered from my research into the wiki.
The research I conducted helped me to realize that Wooster and Wayne County are not as small and insignificant as I once thought. I realized that influence and inspiration can come from anywhere and that it is important for the stories of these women to be told for the sake of inspiration. Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a project that serves as a resource for the community. This internship has allowed me to further explore my career interests, gain experience in a field of interest, and helped me to form connections within the community. Also, I developed important skills that I will be able to apply to future situations. Again, I am very thankful for this opportunity and to everyone that allowed it to be possible.