When Johnnie Johnson arrived at ŇÁµéÔ°ĘÓƵ, he didn’t have a major. He didn’t have a career plan, either.
For a while, he thought computer science might be the right fit, but the deeper he got into that program, the more he felt it just wasn’t for him. What he did have was a quiet, lifelong interest in history and a hope that following that interest might lead somewhere worthwhile.
“I didn’t really have anything else I was very interested in,” he said. “So, I would just go and do something that I figured I would really enjoy, which was history. I didn’t know what to expect exactly.”
Not long after switching his major, he enrolled in Dr. Elizabeth Zanoni’s historical methods course and first learned about internship opportunities offered through the . Among the list of internship options, one stood out immediately: the Virginia War Museum in Newport News.
“I had never done anything like an internship or volunteer work before,” he said. “I figured it would be an important experience for me since, before, all I had done was schoolwork. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn how working in the real world is.”
He got the internship and began his first semester at the museum in Spring 2024. Most of his work involved cataloging and data entry, processing posters and artifacts for the museum’s collection. It was a side of history he hadn’t seen before, quieter and more behind the scenes, but still meaningful.
His internship gave him more than historical insights. “I think what I enjoyed most probably was just the people there, especially the registrar, Jerry Coggeshall. We’re friends basically.”
That relationship turned out to be a highlight of Johnnie’s experience, and the feeling was mutual. “To say that we were pleased with Johnnie’s performance would be an understatement,” said Mr. Coggeshall, the museum’s registrar. “He was the ideal intern in every way. His work was neat and thorough, and his grasp of instruction was outstanding. More importantly, if he wasn’t clear about something, he would take the time to ask for clarification. Thus, there was no hesitancy on our part when he wanted to return for a second semester of interning.”
Coggeshall added that Johnnie became a favorite among staff and volunteers. “He and I even went fishing several times after the internship ended, and he caught his personal best catfish.”
When he returned to the museum for a second internship in Spring 2025, the experience was very different. This time, he was supported by a through the Monarch Humanities Internship Academy, which allowed him to take on a longer commute and deeper responsibilities. “It was more hands-on, you know, like painting stuff and crafts work and stuff like that. I didn’t know how to do a lot of that, so he [Jerry] taught me … and he was very patient with me.”
Johnson worked on the construction and design of museum exhibits, painting walls, building displays, and drilling fixtures. He also helped write the text panels for a Gulf War exhibit, which felt especially meaningful because his mother is a Gulf War veteran.
“I was tasked with writing a few of the little text boxes, the didactics, for some of the artifacts … Everybody who comes into the museum can view them. You need good writing skills, and also research skills to give a proper description.”
That blending of classroom skills with public engagement is exactly what his professors hope to see.
“Johnnie’s internships showed him the important role public historians play in helping people see themselves and their families as active historical agents shaping the past and through it, the present and future,” said Dr. Zanoni. “Most people learn about history not through academic texts but through various forms of public history — historical fiction, films and TV shows, battlefields, archives, historical societies, museums, etc. — and Johnnie’s internships have placed him at the very heart of this important field.”
One of his proudest moments came while working on the museum’s full-size German U-boat exhibit. He painted the boat’s interior and adapted it to allow for a lighting installation. As a finishing touch, he donated a hand-built model submarine. “It’s still there on display,” he said.
Although he describes himself as an introvert, Johnson said the internship helped him communicate better and step outside his comfort zone.
“I knew there were people counting on me to get stuff done … I wanted to help out,” he said. “I liked completing tasks and feeling like I was actually doing something.”
He said that what set the internship apart from classroom learning was the physical and visual payoff — the way history came to life, not just in theory but in work that was visible and lasting. “You're doing the work not just for them but for the public as well. When you're especially working with exhibits, it's nice to see your work have some kind of payoff — some visual payoff that you can see — that actually matters.”
The internship broadened his view of what’s possible with a history degree. “It gave me the impression that a history career doesn’t have to be just writing and teaching,” he said. “It could very much be like working in the museum and using your knowledge to still teach people but also working hands-on to make stuff to show to the people.”
Asked to sum up the journey in one word, he chose carefully.
“Perseverance was definitely a good word for it.”
His advice to other students is just as thoughtful. “Especially if you’re more introverted like me … if you're hesitating, do it. I'd say just kind of jump into it and do it.
“It's a really good way to build connections and also to learn a lot about what being a history major would entail as a real-world career,” he said.
Top photo: ŇÁµéÔ°ĘÓƵ student Johnnie Johnson says an internship at the Virginia War Museum in Newport News broadened his horizons. Credit: Contributed.