Hailey Gifford explores new frontiers at National Park Service internship

Author: Audrianna Wilde

This summer, Hailey Gifford has learned that experience and opportunity can be uncovered anywhere. Through her internship at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in North Carolina with the National Park Service, Gifford, who is working on earning her master’s in environmental studies through Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, has pointed to her graduate program as the key to her success.

Gifford found herself nearly 500 miles away from her home state rather unexpectedly. After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science from OHIO’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2022, Gifford typically gravitated toward policy-oriented spaces, such as her previous internship with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. While applying for internships this year, however, an opportunity from the NPS caught her eye.

“I had absolutely no clue what I was expecting,” Gifford said. “It was kind of just like, ‘Oh, the National Park Service says that I can come work for them? I have to do that.’ That was just way too cool to pass up.”

Upon her arrival, Gifford dove into her work with visitor's services and the museum team. She quickly caught on that each day would be different than the one before. Some days, Gifford would spend the day walking around the park, speaking with and assisting visitors while taking in the change of scenery. Other work days would consist of long hours inside, focusing on the physical upkeep of the museum or helping to evolve the story of the museum itself.

“It was anything from cleaning moldy books to having meetings about how we're going to shape the story of Black History at the park to a tree branch falling down in my front yard and then having to clean it up with maintenance,” Gifford said.

Despite the diversity of responsibilities her internship entailed, Gifford was able to pursue her passion for social justice through research and writing projects. During her internship, she worked with Lainey Binnix, a historian, to write an article and form an interactive exhibit that expanded upon the narrative of the historic home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and writer Carl Sandburg. Gifford wanted to dive deeper into the site’s history by looking at the structures that were built and lived in by enslaved people before Sandburg’s lifetime.

“What we're trying to do is emphasize those stories, because the park currently only focuses on the time of Carl Sandburg,” Gifford said. “Maybe he didn't own slaves and he didn't believe in that, but he still benefited from it. And so we still need to be expressing that in their story because it still matters, it's still important, it's so relevant, and needs to be talked about.”

The job presented many challenges, yet Gifford took them as opportunities to grow and learn, applying what she learned in and out of the classroom to her professional life. She stated Dr. Geoffrey Dabelko and his emphasis on the importance of a good elevator pitch—a 30-second breakdown of an idea or an ask—was one useful tool she, thankfully, was equipped with. To battle the often slow pace of bureaucracy, Gifford was able to advocate for her ideas and move things along with a quick yet efficient conversation.

“Things move really slowly, but you have to be doing everything kind of all at once, so that way when things do get moving, you're totally prepared for them to go forward or for them to get approved,” Gifford said.

Gifford’s experience allowed her to explore a new pathway that she otherwise might not have.  As she continues to pursue her degree, she has walked away with a greater perspective on how her newfound skills will help her succeed in her career.

“Before this, I had a very narrow idea of what I wanted to do with my career and I still think that that's my goal,” Gifford said. “But I need to be okay with doing things that aren't exactly what I want to do, but maybe contribute to me getting there.”

Gifford also underscored the importance of networking, acknowledging her connection with Dr. Geoffrey Buckley as the reason she discovered and acquired her internship.

“I would say, don't stress so much about your academics than stressing about making valuable connections,” Gifford said. “Especially in the Voinovich School, I don't think you can make a wrong turn.”