Notizie da Irene: Part 1

Note from the Archivist: This is the first in a series of posts by Irene Ameglio (pictured above), the Fondazione CRT Intern in the AFS Archives.  Throughout the course of the year, Irene will provide perspective on her internship, AFS and the archival collections of the organization through these "Notizie da Irene" ("News from Irene") posts.

When I decided to apply for an internship at the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS Archives) last February, I knew little about archives and almost nothing about AFS. I had read the descriptions of all the seventy-five internships sponsored by Fondazione CRT for the year 2012-2013, and I knew I had to be careful in my choice. The selection process would be tough, and yet obtaining a Fondazione CRT internship is one of the best training opportunities that are currently available to students recently graduated from Turin University in Italy.

Fondazione CRT is a nonprofit organization that was founded as part of the privatization of the Savings Bank of Turin in 1991 and now focuses on projects to support the regions of Piedmont and Valle D'Aosta. The Master dei Talenti program was initiated in 2003 with the aim of funding recent university graduates on a twelve-month internship abroad, offering a wide range of sectors and professional fields among which candidates can choose what they think it is the best practical continuation (or the most adventurous change) after their academic experience. Having studied Comparative Literature, and coming from a country where archives are mostly seen as a mysterious world which I really didn't know much about, I thought it would be better for me to apply for another project. However, there was something in the AFS Archives internship description that strongly contradicted my perspective of an archive, and that pushed me to learn more about AFS and its centenarian history. It took me two days to go through all the information I could find about the organization, after which my biggest feeling was a huge regret for not being sixteen years old anymore and therefore unable to participate in an AFS student exchange program. But, I thought, maybe it is time to reconsider my ideas about the archival world!

Today, after almost five months working in the AFS Archives, I can see how much that reconsideration was worth. I am learning many unexpected and interesting aspects of a new job, while discovering a whole different culture and the best ways to live in it for a year. Even if I'm not sixteen anymore.


Posted November 7, 2012 by Irene Ameglio