Piecing It Together
Sebastian Schipman: BLM Collections Technician Intern

By Joshua Zaffos

Sebastian Schipman (ANTH: Archaeology BA ’23) completed an internship with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management during his final semester as an undergraduate. As an intern, Schipman worked to rehouse collections from a 1979 survey project in northwestern Colorado, which had not been properly stored. Schipman learned best practices for collections management and helped protect the materials to prevent degradation.

Most rewarding internship experience

“The moments when I would finish rehousing a box of artifacts, and be able to see the condition it was in previously versus the pristine state it was in once I finished work. It felt like I was able to do something good and valuable.”

What I gained from my internship

“Even though my experience helped me realize that working directly with archaeological collections was not something I wanted to pursue as a career, it furthered my understanding of how archaeology works and the considerations around collecting which must be taken when designed a research project. It also looks good on my resume!”

Advice for other students

“Extracurricular opportunities at CSU were extremely important to prepare myself for a career in archaeology. The practical skills I learned from volunteering on projects and doing internships are the most memorable and valuable from my whole time at CSU. I would strongly recommend to try and create those opportunities by persistently pestering professors!”