Gettysburg Semester Alumni News

Elizabeth Whitney
Gettysburg Semester 2005
Home Institution: Siena College 

Libby took photos of the battlefield as part of her internship with the Rupp House while here in Gettysburg. This photo of Libby's has been chosen to be on the cover of the fall issue of Lincoln Lore.

Jenn Seigenthaler
Gettysburg Semester 2005
Home Institution: Susquehanna University

I just wanted to send a hello and let you know that I got a summer internship at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg with the Capitol Preservation Committee. I will get to do research, give tours, and help design exhibits.  When I went for the interview they were really interested in the Gettysburg Semester and asked me a lot of questions about it. I think my experiences at Gettysburg really helped me get the internship. I also wanted to thank Dr. Guelzo for letting me list him as a reference on all my applications. I hope all is well at Gettysburg, and that both you and Dr. Guelzo have a good summer.  --- Jenn Seigehthaler, Semester Class of 2005 

(from an email dated 2/10/06) Hello!
I just wanted to let you know that I have been accepted by the museum studies MA program at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. At this point I am thinking that I will probably go to GWU, but I'll probably wait and see what I hear from the other schools.
I also have a phone interview on Wednesday with Sophia Lynn at the Lincoln Cottage for a summer internship. Just wanted to let you know how things are going, and thank you again for the letters of recommendation! I hope your spring semester is going well.

(from an email dated 2/16/06) Dr. Guelzo,
Thanks so much for putting in a good word for me! I just received an e-mail offering me an internship with Sophie Lynn for the summer, and I am going to take it. I'm really looking forward to working with the Lincoln Cottage project, and maybe I'll see you sometime this summer!

James Cousins
Gettysburg Semester 2005
Home Institution: Dickinson College

On January 4, 2005, Gettysburg Semester 2005 student James Cousins (Dickinson College) presented his paper, "The Cotton Pulled Over Her Eyes: Mary Norcott Bryan and the Slave Life of Dixie" at the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society Biennial National Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. The paper had been edited with the help of Dr. Allen Guelzo while Cousins attended the Gettysburg Semester.  The paper was one of several presented on the topic of American slavery, and it focused specifically on the practice of paternalism; a prevalent method of subordination in American slavery in which slave masters attempted to appear as paternal figures to their slaves.  

Laura Kopp - Gettysburg Semester 2004
Home Institution: College of Notre Dame of Maryland 

Hi everyone! Wow, I can't believe it'll be two years since I participated in the Gettysburg Semester (2004)! I feel like it was only a few months ago that I was nervously driving to GBurg, meeting my crazy roommate (I love you, Carolyn!), and trying to get adjusted to living with a bunch of fellow Civil War nerds! But OK, I'm going to stop emotionally reminiscing and update you all on what's been going on in my life lately.

I graduated summa cum laude from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (Baltimore) with my B.A. in History: Pre-Museum Studies and a minor in Women's Studies. This summer I have two research jobs - a fellowship with the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum (historic headquarters of the National Woman's Party) and a research assistantship with two of my undergrad professors. The fellowship is taking up most of my time since I get to spend countless hours staring at microfilm in the Library of Congress' Manuscript Division. When I'm not researching African American women in the suffrage movement, I'm working with two of my former history profs on research for their upcoming book. We're investigating rape and sexual abuse cases that occurred during the Civil War based upon Court Martial trials, soldier's Service Records, Judge Advocate correspondences, etc. As if my summer wasn't busy enough, in July I moved to College Park, MD to be closer to Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland.

Carol Wendt - Gettysburg Semester 2004
Home Institution: Siena College 

Participating in the Gettysburg Semester was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I not only gained an appreciation for the town of Gettysburg and its history, but an appreciation for Civil War battlefields in general and how important it is to see the ground to understand the battle.  I enjoyed working in a small group with Dr. Guelzo, whom I learned a lot from both in and out of the classroom.  I continue to read new books on the Civil War, as my original interest has nearly turned into an obsession due to the Semester, and it is nice to be able to recognize authors that I read during the semester or heard Dr. Guelzo mention in class.  

I made friendships in Gettysburg that I hope will continue to grow for a very long time.  The Gettysburg Semester is something I will never forget; it truly was the highlight of my college career. After Gettysburg, in May of 2005 I graduated from Siena College, New York, with a major in history and a minor in English.  I am currently in a one year Master of Arts in Teaching program at Union College, New York, studying to be a social studies teacher.  I am working on a master's thesis on Captain Luther M. Wheeler of the 77^th New York Volunteers, a local Civil War hero from Saratoga Springs, New York.  My thesis is written in the form of historical fiction, so many of the background details of the story come from the experiences and knowledge I gained while in Gettysburg.  I am also a teaching intern at the 8^th grade level, and I take every opportunity I can to include information about the Civil War in my teaching.  My students especially enjoy when I bring in my own personal photos from the battlefields.  I hope to encourage a whole new generation of students to take an active interest in our country's history, so maybe someday you will find some of my own students in the Gettysburg Semester.  At least I hope so.  

Kid Wongsrichanalai
Gettysburg Semester 2001
Home Institution: Bowdoin College 

Kid graduated from Bowdoin College in 2003 with majors in history and psychology.  He received his master's degree in U.S. History from the University of Virginia in 2004.  He has recently passed his comprehensive examinations and is working on his dissertation, which explores the lives of young, college-educated New Englanders during the Civil War era. 

Andy Pascual
Gettysburg Semester 2000
Home Institution: Furman University

Andy hopes the entire Gettysburg Semester Class of 2000 (The one and only original batch!) sends in something for GS Alumni News!! After graduation from Furman University, Class of 2002 he attended Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, graduating with the Class of 2005. He is now an Assistant District Attorney in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit in North Georgia.