2017 Steele Interns Bring Generations of Passion for National Pastime
For many fans, Cooperstown brings to life passion for the game of baseball. But for Texas Christian University student Justin Hendry, the love of the game burned brightly long before the start of an unforgettable summer at the Hall of Fame.
Born into a family with a deep love for baseball, the Orange County, Calif. native was destined to be a fan. It’s hard not to be when Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is your great-uncle.
“My family has played baseball now for generations,” Hendry said. “I’ve played since I was about five years old up until my senior year of high school. My dad played in high school, too, and of course my great-uncle. It’s definitely a family affair.”
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This summer, Hendry will get to share his love for the game as a Steele Intern at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum while working for the Museum’s education department.
“Playing with my dad, listening to my grandma talk about my great-uncle’s no-hitters, going to games – it’s all just been engrained within my life,” Hendry said.
This summer is Hendry’s first time back in Cooperstown since Ryan’s induction in 1999. Hendry is definitely in the right place, as one of the Hall of Fame’s missions is to connect generations of people who enjoy baseball.
“I’m really excited about Induction Weekend. The experience I had when I was just a little kid at my great-uncle’s induction was so cool, and I want to experience that again while helping others experience it, too.”
Now in its 17th year, the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development program offers college undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to work alongside Museum and Library staff members to gain hands-on professional training in a field that closely matches the student’s major.
In all, 20 students hailing from 19 different universities will intern for Museum departments, including collections, digital strategy, education, special events, membership, photography, photo archives, public relations, library research and sales and licensing. The 20 interns were selected from more than 600 applications from students nationally.
In addition to completing 40 hours of work each week, interns will participate in a number of career seminars during the program, on topics such as networking, teamwork, business communication and creating an innovative leadership style. In addition, every intern will host artifact spotlights – brief public presentations with in-depth stories about items in the Museum’s collections – in the Museum throughout the summer.
The internship program began in 2001 and has since welcomed more than 300 interns in an experience made possible by Peggy Steele, who endowed the program in honor of her late husband, Frank, and in his commitment to fostering education and leadership development.
Applications for the 2018 Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program will be due on Jan. 31, 2018 and will be available beginning this fall at http://baseballhall.org/education/internship-positions.
Cady Lowery is the 2017 public relations intern at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Class of 2017 Steele Interns
• Meghan Anderson, University of Oklahoma (curatorial)
• Charles Barchett, Bradley University (development)
• Madeline Chessario, University of Minnesota (licensing and sales)
• Emily Cooper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (digital strategy)
• Samuel Dreyfuss, Xavier University (development)
• Rebecca Finnigan, Simmons College (photo archives)
• Michael Fishbach, New York University (digital strategy)
• Kyle Grozen, UCLA (education)
• Justin Hendry, Texas Christian University (education)
• Cagney Irving, The Citadel (development)
• Cady Lowery, University of Missouri-Columbia (communications)
• Hannah Mahnken, University of North Carolina-Greensboro (collections)
• Elizabeth Muratore, University of Virginia (development)
• Cassidy Murray, Lasell College (education)
• Emily Perdue, Wayne State University (library research)
• Samantha Selikoff, The College of New Jersey (special events/education)
• Addison Skaggs, Oklahoma State University (multimedia)
• Hanna Soltys, Simmons College (library research)
• Erica Wells, Dickinson College (education)
• Eldon Yeakel, Illinois State University (library manuscript archives)
