Week One: Introduction

Hello!

Hello, 

I’m Paul and I am finishing my second bachelor’s as a history major here at UCF. If everything goes as planned, my anticipated date of graduation will be December of 2026. My first BS is from Purdue in agriculture which got back in antiquity. I have over 20 years of experience in agricultural and environmental regulation with the Florida Department of Ag. Since January 2025 I have been learning to be a docent with The Tampa Bay History Center – Chinsegut Hill Historic Site. There I am learning to conduct tours of the manor house and discuss the activities of the families that have called manor house their home with our guests just about every Saturday. I have two daughters. My oldest is a vet tech and dog fanatic. My youngest is learning to weld and is hoping to be a boilermaker on the railroad. Yep, that is a real job.   

As far as my area of interest in history, I used to say that I was focusing on French colonial history, but apparently, I was wrong because everything that I am working on has to do with progressive era politics and social reform. I have been very fortunate to have this opportunity at Chinsegut. The docents and management staff are not only fantastic people, but they are very knowledgeable in many areas of history. The history of the site spans from the paleolithic to the Great Depression. So, something for everyone. The last family to call the manor house their home was the Robins family. The docents commonly say that “the Robins are the most famous people you have never heard of”. The family members were highly involved with social reform, labor rights, national and international politics, and the suffrage movements in the United States and in England. That is only part of their activates. If you follow my postings, you will learn all about the comings and goings of the Robins and the quest for women’s suffrage.   

What do I hope to gain from this internship? I think what I am supposed to say is that I am seeking to develop skills in public history that will be valuable in my future career.  Well...sort of. What I am really here for is the fun of it. Working at the history center and this historic site is just plan cool. I am biting off more than maybe sensible in my project. This week I am working on the story board for a 10-20 minute documentary on the Robins families’ work on the women’s suffrage movement. I have no idea if I can pull it off or not. There is a wealth of first source material at the Chinsegut site, and the docents include more than one published author on the manor house and the families that have lived there to keep on track and inline. So, I think I have a pretty good chance of not falling on my face. I had not thought that I would be working on an internship this summer and that makes the project even more exciting to be involved in. I don’t know how far I will be able to go with my second round of education, but I plan to take it is far and as high as I can. This class is an unexpected twist in what has been an exciting ride into history.