Geology major solidifies passion for a versatile career in museum work 

Rheo Hendrickson ’27, a geology major at The College of Wooster, became immersed in their dream career environment while working at the Andrews University Museum of Nature and Science in her hometown Coloma, Michigan. Through the internship, Hendrickson assisted with cataloging and restoring collections, creating exhibits, guiding school tours, among other opportunities. Roschelle Hall, the museum’s assistant curator, provided her guidance in tackling new tasks. Looking ahead, Hendrickson said the internship has deepened her enthusiasm for museum work from assisting with collections behind-the-scenes to leading tours and informative sessions.  

“This internship has solidified that I want to work in a museum. It has opened my eyes to potentially also do tours or informative talks, not just background work.”
—Rheo Hendrickson ’27 

Q: How did you learn about the internship opportunity for your Micro Fellowship?  

Hendrickson: It was a natural history museum on the campus of the church that I went to growing up. I also went to the middle and high schools associated with the college. The museum was close to my home and helped me get experience in a museum environment I would like to work in for my career. 

Q: What interests you most about the work you did?  

Hendrickson: I loved all the work I did! I especially liked working to create an exhibit, assisting with collections, and helping with a tour of the museum. I worked to catalogue and sort specimens, which I enjoyed because I like doing menial tasks since they’re important tasks no one else had time to do. I worked to create informative posters for a booth that would become an exhibit, I really liked doing this because I could do research and use my art for this. I also enjoyed helping with a tour for school children. They were all excited to learn, and I love talking to people about rocks and fossils. 

Q: Who was your fellowship mentor and how did they help you to succeed in this position? 

Hendrickson: My fellowship mentor was Roschelle Hall, the museum’s assistant curator. She helped me to know what to do, including when I got stuck.  

Q: What are some skills you’ve learned that you see yourself carrying forward in your career? 

Hendrickson: I learned a lot, especially in the grant writing class that I attended with Mrs. Hall, which I think I will use the most in my future career.  

Q: How has the internship helped you to see what’s next for you?  

Hendrickson: This internship has solidified that I want to work in a museum. It has opened my eyes to potentially also do tours or informative talks, not just background work. I did enjoy talking to the kids and teaching. It isn’t my favorite thing, but more enjoyable than I thought it would be. 

Posted in Experiential Learning, Showcase Stories 2024 on August 11, 2024.