Hall of Fame Welcomes 2019 Class of Frank and Peggy Steele Interns to Cooperstown

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Cooperstown is usually the place where all-stars finish their careers. But for the young women and men who comprise the 2019 Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development, the start of a new chapter in their professional lives is just beginning at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Eighteen college students arrived in Cooperstown this week to begin a 10-week study in a variety of disciplines at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum between now and Aug. 2.

Now in its 19th year, the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development 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. Interns craft leadership and communication skills by attending career seminars hosted by Hall of Fame staff and community leaders, as well as participating in thematic public speaking in the Museum, and research and writing assignments that directly relate to the Museum’s mission.

In all, 18 students hailing from 17 colleges and universities will intern for Museum departments, including curatorial, education, digital collections, membership, photo archives, collections, public relations, library research, sales and licensing and special events. The 18 interns were selected from nearly 500 applications from students nationwide.

In addition to completing department duties each week, interns will participate in a number of career seminars during the program, on topics such as networking, public speaking, community leadership, business etiquette 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 350 interns in an experience made possible by Peggy Steele, who endowed the program in honor of her late husband, Frank, and his commitment to fostering education and leadership development.

The 2019 class of Frank and Peggy Steele Interns (name/university/department): Kristina Abicca, University of Central Florida (education); Garrett Allen, Washington & Lee University (programming); Michael Belmont, Louisiana State University (library research); Sara Bennett, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (digital collections); Leah Buhagiar, Wayne State University (collections); Erin Carmody, St. Bonaventure University (membership); Matthew Carter, Syracuse University (curatorial); Anthony DeSimone, Sacred Heart University (membership); Presley Favre, University of Mississippi (programming); Jerry Goosenberg, University of Michigan (licensing & sales); Jenna Guenther, James Madison University (programming); Kallan Jackson, Louisiana State University (library research); Rachel Kingham, Carnegie Mellon University (special events); Patrick LaBella, Villanova University (programming); Mickey Lanning, University of Texas at Austin (photo archives); Janey Murray, University of Georgia (communications); Eric St. Peter, University of St. Thomas (membership); John Sullivan, Ithaca College (membership).

Applications for the 2020 Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program will be due on Jan. 31, 2020, and will be available beginning this fall at www.baseballhall.org/education.