Latino Heritage Intern: Tahmoor Chadury

The most rewarding part of my internship...

...is speaking to visitors who do not know much about the site, or are from out of town, and telling them bits and pieces of why SAMA and SAIR deserve to be preserved for present and future generations.

NPS Photo / Maryann Zujewski

This summer I am a Bilingual Education and Interpretation intern at Salem Maritime (SAMA) and Saugus Ironworks (SAIR) National Historic Sites. One of the more interesting facts about SAMA in particular is that it was the first historic site established in the United States, in 1938. My main deliverable for the internship is a bilingual exhibit plan centered around Dominican faceless dolls. I also spend one day a week working on the Friendship of Salem, a replica modeled after a 19th century tall ship based in Salem. Lastly, I have a brief true crime podcast episode in the works based on a prominent murder that took place in 19th century Salem.

I was a virtual intern last year with LHIP at SAMA and decided to come back to Salem in order to get the full experience of an LHIP intern. I have always envisioned myself with the National Park Service and these successive internships have been integral in getting me much needed experience.

To those youth who are interested in getting involved in stewardship and the broader conservation field, I’d recommend that you apply to as many different kinds of positions and internships as you can. While I always knew I wanted to work outside and for the NPS, it took two internships for me to realize that I was truly interested in interpretation! The most rewarding part of my internship is speaking to visitors who do not know much about the site, or are from out of town, and telling them bits and pieces of why SAMA and SAIR deserve to be preserved for present and future generations.