Volunteer Spotlight: Mackenna Caruso

NPS Photo

Summer Intern Series – Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

This summer, we're excited to kick off a special series highlighting the remarkable interns who are generously volunteering their time, talents, and enthusiasm to help staff Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. These young professionals represent the next generation of public servants, historians, and leaders.This week, we’re proud to introduce Mackenna Caruso, a rising senior at the University of Virginia. Mackenna is double majoring in Politics and Global Security and Justice—an impressive academic path in itself—but that’s just the beginning. She joins us through UVA’s highly competitive Nau Center Summer Internship Program, and if scholarships and a double major weren’t enough, Mackenna also leads UVA’s cheerleading team as its captain.At just 20 years old, Mackenna brings a resume full of accolades and ambition. Yet, it’s her humility and warmth that visitors and staff alike are most drawn to. From the moment someone steps into the Visitor Center, Mackenna’s friendly energy is evident—she’s a natural people-person. Whether it’s welcoming guests or engaging in deep conversation with fellow interns, Mackenna thrives on human connection. “Interacting with people is my favorite part of the job,” she says—and it shows.She credits her strong interpersonal skills to her parents: her mother, a defense attorney, and her father, a retired Army Colonel. That balance of empathy and discipline has clearly shaped Mackenna into a bright, witty, and grounded individual. She’s always ready with a sharp observation—or a well-timed dad joke.Mackenna is especially fascinated by the ironies of history that battlefields often reveal. “You can’t make anything better if you don’t understand the history first,” she says. With aspirations to become a lawyer, Mackenna took this internship as an opportunity to refine her ability to observe, analyze, and reflect on how social systems and stories take shape.Interestingly, Mackenna’s life has long been intertwined with Civil War history—she was born near Petersburg and spent her adolescence near the Bristoe Station Battlefield. Though she doesn’t identify as a “Civil War buff” per se, she’s deeply curious about how the places we grow up in influence who we become.As she continues her internship with us this summer, we are so fortunate to have Mackenna on our team—bringing heart, intelligence, and leadership to everything she does. We can’t wait to see where the future takes her.Stay tuned as we continue our intern spotlight series throughout the summer!