Gettysburg College and the Civil War Institute are pleased to announce the creation of the Brian C. Pohanka Fellows Program.  This program is made possible thanks to the generosity of the John J. Pohanka Family Foundation.  The program benefits Gettysburg College students who are enrolled in summer internship programs at historic sites with the National Park Service.  Eligible students, if selected as Fellows by the Director of the Civil War Institute, will receive a stipend for assistance with their cost of living expenses during their internship.

Pohanka, born in 1955, was a graduate of Sidwell Friends School in Washington and Dickinson College, where he majored in history.  He had a passion for 19th and 20th century military history, becoming a leading authority on the Battle of Little Bighorn.  He loved Civil War reenacting.  The Fellows, named in honor of Pohanka, are a fitting tribute to his legacy.  "It is so exciting to be selected as a Brian Pohanka Fellow," says Gettysburg College Sophomore Brian Johnson.  Brian is interning this summer at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.  "Without the support, I would not be able to share my passion for the Civil War with the public.  Working in the National Park Service has been a phenomenal experience and I am grateful to the Pohanka Foundation for making my internship possible."

The following Gettysburg College students have been selected as the 2012 Brian C. Pohanka Fellows: Natalie Sherif and Kristen Trout, interning at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park; Val Merlina, interning at Gettysburg National Military Park; Brian Johnson and Mary Roll at Stratford Hall; Paul Rule, Emma Murphy, Gabby Hornbeck, and Becky Oakes at Fredericksburg National Military Park; and Erin Richards and Morgan Rouscher at Appomattox National Historical Park; Michele Seabrook will intern at Manassas.

Gettysburg College senior Mary Roll believes "we have a unique duty to educate the public about our Civil War past.  The Brian Pohanka Fellowship has given me an opportunity to become a professional historian, even before I graduate.  At Stratford Hall I will be speaking to thousands of people about our nation's history, and because of a Pohanka Fellowship I have this incredible opportunity to teach people about the value of preserving and protecting the places where Civil War history was made."

Thomas Skaggs, a 2011 intern, spent the summer as a Brian C. Pohanka intern at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.  Tommy's internship began May 18 and lasted through August 3, 2011.  Tommy completed National Park Service training and attended several field trips to Richmond National Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, and battlefield sites along the Appomattox Campaign.  Tommy staffed the entrance station of the park, the Visitor Center, and the McLean House providing orientation and a lot of informal interpretation of the surrender story, the war, and its national context.

During his internship, Tommy worked with the park historian to transcribe some recently discovered, unpublished accounts of a soldier in the 15th NY Cavalry that was involved in the fighting that took place in the village of Appomattox Court House the night before the surrender.

"Tommy was eager to learn about the park and how it operated.  By the end of the summer he was contributing new ideas and doing his own tour for visitors.  In addition to his ability to learn about the rich civil war history in the park, perhaps Tommy's strongest attribute was his interest in sharing what he had learned with visitors, the ultimate goal for the Education and Visitor Services division at Appomattox Court House NHP." Ernie Price, Chief of Visitor Services and Education, Appomattox Court House NHP

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