Week 1 of the internship

Hello all, I want to introduce myself, Peter Torres. I am third year History major and I strive to explore local history through this internship.

Week 1 of the internship has been eventful, with some preliminary research on Hillcrest Elementary, the site that will be the main focus of the research. Hillcrest has a rich history as it is one of the oldest schools in Central Florida. I hope it can act as a significant microcosm of America in its many phases during the 20th Century, such as during World War II or in the integration period in the South. In the sphere of education, Hillcrest has unique characteristics such as once having an active Vietnamese program to cater the burgeoning ethnic minority present in Orlando. I strive to conduct interviews for more information on personal experiences at the school, which are likely to have been unknown in the past. The school is being rebuilt in the summer, giving the project a sense of urgency in my work. I registered myself for the Orange County Public Schools to volunteer on-site, and was able to meet with my advisers on Wednesday.

Next week entails a trip to Ocoee, specifically the West Oaks library and Genealogy Center for finding aids to assist a later search through the Sun Sentinel of Orlando. Luckily, I have been informed that UCF Library has the paper on microfilm so that will make the trip to research far shorter in the future.