2024 HBCUI Intern
BIOGRAPHY
Adriana Thomas, a Richmond, Virginia native and graduate of Virginia State University with a degree in History, served as a Cultural Resources Management & Labor History Intern at Monocacy National Battlefield through the HBCUI Internship Program in 2024.
Prior to her internship, Adriana contributed as a researcher on an Augmented Virtual Reality Interactive History project at Virginia State University. Her academic interests in history, archaeology, cultural resource management, and preservation helped shape her passion for understanding and interpreting the stories that define America’s historic landscapes.
During her internship, Adriana conducted research related to cultural resources, labor history, and historic preservation efforts at Monocacy National Battlefield. Her work focused on the Worthington House and the history of agricultural labor associated with the site, helping expand understanding of stories that have often received limited historical interpretation. She also gained exposure to archaeological research, cultural resource management practices, invasive species management, and the preservation of historic landscapes.
Through her experience, Adriana developed a deeper understanding of how National Park Service professionals protect and interpret cultural resources while preserving important historical narratives for future generations. The internship strengthened her interests in archaeology, public history, historic preservation, and the intersection of history, law, and environmental stewardship.
Adriana plans to continue building on these experiences through graduate study and future work focused on cultural resources, public history, and preservation.
Education & Experience
Education
Virginia State University
NPS SITE
Monocacy National Battlefield
POSITION
Cultural Resources Management & Labor History
Poster Presentation – Career & Leadership Workshop in DC
Pictured above, Adriana Thomas presents her internship project during the 2024 HBCUI Career and Leadership Workshop at the Department of the Interior. Through an interactive poster presentation, she shared research and findings from her work at Monocacy National Battlefield, highlighting cultural resource management, labor history, and efforts to document and interpret stories connected to the Worthington House and the surrounding landscape. Her presentation demonstrated the important role historical research and preservation play in expanding public understanding of the past.
Adriana’s First Week Log
Week 1/10 down at my National Park Service position as the HBCU Cultural Resource & Labor History intern through SODAS Life INC!
This is my first summer working on this project. I’m excited to be able to contribute & start on the preliminary research for our Worthington House & the modern slave labor that occurred here up until the 1960s..(yes 1960, you read that correctly). If you want to learn more follow this link to a documentary about the plight of Black American farm workers: (see above)
I hope to help the NPS mission & garner more federal historical interpretation regarding black and Latino history on the east coast & particularly in the DMV. I look forward to utilizing my skills and experience to make a positive impact in this role while growing my archaeological skills.
I can’t wait to share more pics of my field work. Fortunately, I’m in my air conditioned office majority of the time :)) (for now)
Lastly, here are some photos I captured from my first week!
Testimonial “Over the summer I had the wonderful opportunity of being the Cultural Resources Intern at Monocacy National Battlefield with HBCUl, a program that provides National Park Service internships for HBCU students.
I experienced so many unfamiliar experiences & learned so many new things. My mind is actually blown right now still trying to sort through all the information I retained this summer. From invasive species, to historic preservation & archaeology, I got to learn so much from the most awesome people at Monocacy.
Thank you so much to HBCUI, Dr. E, & SODAS Life Inc. for enabling me to not only experience this summer at Monocacy, but connecting me with the greatest HBCU cohort. I made lifelong connections & I feel so blessed to have participated.”
TESTIMONIAL
“Over the summer I had the wonderful opportunity of being the Cultural Resources Intern at Monocacy National Battlefield with HBCUl, a program that provides National Park Service internships for HBCU students.
I experienced so many unfamiliar experiences & learned so many new things. My mind is actually blown right now still trying to sort through all the information I retained this summer. From invasive species, to historic preservation & archaeology, I got to learn so much from the most awesome people at Monocacy.
Thank you so much to HBCUI, Dr. E, & SODAS Life Inc. for enabling me to not only experience this summer at Monocacy, but connecting me with the greatest HBCU cohort. I made lifelong connections & I feel so blessed to have participated.” – Adriana Thomas
HBCUI Certificate of Completion
Pictured l-to-r Candice Price of SODAS Life Inc., Adriana Thomas, Wayne Hubbard of SODAS Life Inc., and Ernestine M. White National Youth Employment Programs Coordinator, National Park Service (NPS).
