Week One: "Backstory" to the Future

Hello, reader! My name is Elio Singer, and I am currently a junior at UCF. I am pursuing my life's passion by studying history and anthropology with a focus on public history, archival studies, and museum studies. I am 20 years old and live in Winter Garden, FL. My research interests lie within studying the histories of marginalized peoples in 20th-century Central Florida, the court of Prussian monarch Frederick the Great, early 20th-century Berlin as a hub for Jewish and LGBTQIA+ culture, ethnographic methodologies, and accessibility in archives and museums.

​History has always shaped my life and my future career goals. Since I was a child, I was entranced by the prospect of knowing who we were, who we are, and who we might be. ​I am extremely grateful to have worked in museums since the age of fourteen. My first in-field job was at the George Chamberlain House in Jefferson Township, New Jersey. There, I became the museum's first junior docent, gave guided tours in late-Victorian attire, and answered a plethora of inquiries from curious patrons. I worked at The George Chamberlain House from 2018 to 2020 before relocating to Central Florida in January of 2021. ​

After transferring from Arizona State University’s Universal Learner program with 36 transfer credits, I worked as an Archival and Social Media Intern at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation from 2023 to 2024. I reported directly to the museum director, Jim Crescitelli, and the curator, Will McCoy. There, I assisted the curator with processing tasks, trained in using the PastPerfect archival system, helped set up and gather materials for exhibits, managed WGHF's Facebook and Instagram, and designed their website. 

Naturally, I'm ecstatic to have been accepted as a Summer 2025 intern for the Public History Department at UCF, as well as being selected as one of two lead information specialists. The news of my selection came to me as a total surprise, as this role is typically reserved for graduate students. During Tuesday’s training, our supervisors asked us to reflect on our goals as both interns and leaders. 

As this is my first semester in a public history lead role, I am thrilled to grow into my leadership position by listening to and learning alongside my fellow students, as well as honing my individual abilities as an intern. I wish to explore different areas I want to develop more in my academic career and beyond, including growing confident in a management role, learning how to effectively write a transcription, A/V log, and metadata log, gaining more experience in a physical museum setting, and perhaps explore grant writing as a potential occupational avenue. Of course, I expect this list to expand as I discover more during the course of this internship. Though many details still remain unknown, I am eager to take on whatever challenge I encounter during this exciting escapade that will hopefully lead to a long, fulfilling career in this beautifully complex field.