Name: Ariel Zhao
Class Year: 2026
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Internship Organization: Special Collections
Internship Title: Who Built Bryn Mawr
Location of Internship: Bryn Mawr, PA
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
I am a member of the Who Built Bryn Mawr project at Special Collections. The project involved historical research on Chinese students' history at BMC and a public presentation of our work as part of the four-year focus on Asian histories at the college. I learned to do historical research with primary sources and effectively share our findings with different audiences. Through reading numerous archives, reports, correspondence, books, and films, I have improved my archival skills and gained a deeper understanding of China's historical and educational background in the twentieth century. I also learned about the establishment and operation of the China Scholarship Committee at the college. I worked with another intern on the project as a team in close collaboration with staff in Special Collections.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because I felt a strong connection to the focus on Asian history. As a minority group, Asian histories are often overlooked. As a Chinese student, I am particularly curious about the Chinese students in Bryn Mawr's history and why they overcame numerous obstacles to study here in the last century. Additionally, I hope that my research will help current students and researchers learn more about these Chinese students and the historical context of that time.
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?
Yes. I found the research topic of this project very unique. As an international student from China, studying the history of Chinese students in the U.S. feels very personal to me. I appreciate the opportunity to gain insights into Western scholars' views on China and Chinese students in the last century through extensive reading and research.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
I love the working environment and the close relationships I've formed with the other library interns and staff.
What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn't expect?
I was surprised that the internship was loosely structured which requires a lot of self-exploratory work. The other intern and I were asked to find specific research directions ourselves using the archival material about Chinese students provided by the college. I felt a little lost at first, but adapted to the new mode of research work by discussing my findings with the other intern, supervisor, and professor.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
I am trying to gain more soft skills like digital skills and communications skills. I learned new software (Github, Bitsy, Canva, etc.) and had more open conversations with the professor and my supervisor. I am currently preparing for the final product of the intern, which I think could boost my information management, visual design and public speaking skills.
Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?
research, self-exploration, planning
What is most rewarding about your internship?
Seeing the results of our research is very rewarding for me. My team started with several boxes of roughly categorized archives, but through reading, organizing, and researching for two months, we transformed the information we found into a more searchable and communicable format. This process also enhanced my understanding of the school's history, making me feel that my work is truly valuable.
Career & Civic Engagement Psychology