Oneida County College Student Corps Interns Emma Garcia, left, and Kelsey Wooldridge stand in the reconstructed apothecary shop at the Clinton Historical Society

Learning about their home region has made this summer unique for Oneida County College Student Corps interns Emma Garcia, left, of SUNY Fredonia and Kelsey Wooldridge of Randolph Macon College. They’ve been working at the Clinton Historical Society on a new exhibit. “We are surrounded by so much history on a daily basis and sometimes I think we never get to really see it and understand how much this community has to offer, and how rich its history really is,” Emma said. “We are very fortunate that Oneida County supported us in these internships so that we could have this opportunity,” Kelsey said. “Internships open up a world of possibilities and help us look at what is familiar in a very new way.”  Although they are still in the process of making their post-college plans, they agreed that the program makes a difference. “When you see the area in this way, you see it differently and you look at the future with a new perspective,” Emma said.

Photo and text by Timothy E. Davis