Volunteer Spotlight: Zachary Wise

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Summer Stories: Intern Spotlight Series

Meet Zachary Wise, one of our amazing summer interns! A 21-year-old graduate student at Western Carolina University, Zach is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public History. Although history was always his favorite subject growing up, Zach didn’t initially plan to major in it. “I thought the only path was to become a college professor,” he explains. “And I never connected with the idea of being a lecturer.”

That changed when he discovered public history—a field that emphasizes hands-on engagement and connecting with audiences in meaningful ways. He credits his professors, especially Dr. Jesse Swigger, with helping him understand that history isn’t just something to be studied, but something that can be actively presented and refined.

This summer, Zach is gaining firsthand experience with historical interpretation. He’s learning how to design and deliver interpretive programs and has come to appreciate the critical difference between knowing history and communicating it effectively. “Writing and working through these programs has shown me how important it is to move beyond just understanding the past—you have to present it in a way that resonates,” he says.

Zach credits the “Sparking Freedom” tour at Chatham as a major influence on how he's approached writing his own interpretive programs. “It opened my eyes to the many ways people resisted oppression,” he says. “That program inspired me to explore our park’s traditional stories from multiple perspectives.” He also credits his successful programs on the mentorship of the park's rangers, who have taken a hands-on approach to helping him turn outlines into engaging, visitor-centered experiences.

Zach shares that some of the most valuable lessons from his internship have come not just from writing interpretive programs, but from engaging directly with visitors. “What makes this work so powerful is the dialogue,” he says. “You’re not just telling people what happened—you’re inviting them into a story. Using visuals and props helps history come alive. It becomes personal.”

With his thoughtful approach and passion for public engagement, Zachary exemplifies the qualities we hope to see in the next generation of public historians—someone who brings history to life through meaningful connections, one story at a time