Originally from Auburn, Alabama, Alex Campbell is a junior majoring in History with a minor in Management. This semester, she has been an intern at the Berman Museum, where an exhibit she helped design and assemble has just opened and will remain open until July 4^th. 

Tell us about your internship. What are some of your responsibilities? What have you gained from it?

“My internship at the Berman Museum has been such an incredible experience. Specifically, I’m a Collections Intern, meaning I work in the collections department under the direction of the Collections Manager at the Berman, Sabra Gossett.  Some of my responsibilities are to research various artifacts to gain a better knowledge of the item. This is not just for my own growth, but for the museum to have as full of history as I can give. I also am responsible for assisting in any exhibit productions, care, cleaning, and just general concern for the artifacts under the museum’s care. I have gained a great deal of experience during my internship; experience with the care and maintenance of historical artifacts, and experience with working with others in a different working environment than some college students traditionally have. I have learned a vast amount from a wide range of historical artifacts, which I feel has worked to make me a more well-rounded individual. I have also learned more about how to gather research from a variety of reliable sources in a more tactile situation rather than an in-class research paper. Overall, this has been a dream come true for me, and Mrs. Gossett has been the best role model and the most helpful, wonderful person to work with to gain experience through this internship. She has helped me to learn everything I’ve gained so far, and how to actually apply them in the work I do from day to day. This whole internship and my time with the Berman have been an invaluable opportunity and one that I am grateful for every day.”

When did you know that JSU was the right school for you?

“I knew JSU was the right place for me when I did a campus visit during my senior year of high school and met with Dr. Harvey (at the time, department head of history) and he answered every question I had, and I could truly see myself studying here and growing into the person I want to be one day.”

What are some benefits of your major?

“As a history major, I have learned so much about the world, and I’ve come to learn to look at all perspectives involved in historical events or situations. I feel I’ve become much more open-minded to historical situations that are traditionally only looked at through one lens instead of all.”

What is your favorite thing about JSU?

“I think my favorite thing about JSU is the size and location. I never wanted to go to a big school and JSU is the right size for me. This area the university is in is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, but I’ve also always loved the mountains regardless. I feel at home and at peace at JSU; I would have to say that is my favorite thing about this place.”

What clubs/organizations are you involved in?

“I’m currently in my 3^rd year as a member of the Honors Program.”

What is one way that you have grown during your time at JSU?

“I feel that during my time at JSU, I have grown into a more mature, responsible, and thoughtful person. JSU has taught me more than just in the classroom; it has taught me how to be a successful and responsible adult. I’ve learned better time management from procrastinating one too many times on assignments, I’ve learned to be thoughtful and open-minded through the many group projects I’ve had the opportunity to work in, and I’ve learned to grow up and start thinking about my future seriously instead of telling myself over and over that I don’t have to worry yet.”

What is your favorite course that you have taken?

“I think so far my favorite course that I have taken was my US-Latin American Relations course taught by Dr. Ingwersen. This class was a lot of fun in general, but this class opened my eyes to Latin American history because I’ve not been taught much about this region, and to learn how they had an impact on us today, and vice-versa. We also played a Cold War roleplay game to gain a better understanding of the events following the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was a really fun and involved way to learn history.”

Any recent accomplishments?

“With the Berman Museum, I helped set up and open the Dragons Exhibit, now open at the Oxford Performing Arts Center (OPAC), which is free to the public and open until July 4^th. This was so much fun to set up, and it was really rewarding to watch people explore and learn from the exhibit on opening night.”

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

“I plan to go to Graduate School to hopefully one day become a Collection’s Manager.”

What is a fun fact about yourself?

“I can say “I Love You” in Hungarian, but only verbally.”

What advice do you have for first-year students?

“It may sound cheesy but take advantage of all of the resources that the University offers. Tutoring, the writing center, office hours with your professors. These are all amazingly useful resources that can and will help you succeed and understand any material you are struggling with. Most importantly, have fun. You are not supposed to be miserable. Rush Greek life if you want to, join clubs if there is one that fits your interests, meet people who you can be yourself with and hold onto them, you never know how important good friends are until it feels like you’re alone. These years are what our parents and everyone says are supposed to be the wonder years or the best years of our lives for a reason. Live up to all of the hype you have heard about college and make it your own.”