Brendan Walsh ’15 is a Colgate history major who is working for two different organizations this summer as a Field School Fellow. He is putting his major to use for the Town of Hamilton by conducting archival research and organizing the town’s documents to determine what should be retained and what should be destroyed. He is using the town archive to create a complete timeline of the history of Hamilton, which will be on display in the town office window at the end of the summer. Along with the timeline, the display he creates will feature archival pieces found during his work and will highlight their importance in the history of the town.
Brendan is also working with the Impact Project. Located in Greene, New York, the Impact Project provides assistance to homeowners with income at or below the federal poverty rate whose homes are in need of major repair and/or accessibility upgrades. Brendan is working with the director to research grants and develop partnerships with other organizations, and is handling logistics for future projects. Overall, his contributions will help the Impact Project recruit volunteers and spread the word about their work, which will help the organization to grow.
Both projects are giving Brendan an opportunity to witness the importance of grassroots work. By working with the Town, he has come to see that residents of the community have great pride in their town and that they are interested in learning about and preserving its history. The Impact Project is teaching him about how a not-for-profit serves the community while building its own capacity for future growth.