Well, since my last post a few things have happened. I went back to Houston, to TSU to prepare for my senior Capstone seminar. With research in hand, I was able to write a decent paper. The faculty liked the topic and research. I ended up with an A in the course. One of the objectives was to have a paper that was good enough to present at a conference or consortium. I submitted my paper and was able to present at 2 such events. I presented at the 5th Annual Phi Alpha Theta Houston Consortium. I also presented at the 89th Annual Southwestern Social Science Association in Denver, CO. So this Lincoln Hired Help research has been a boost for me. For the month of February, I was highlighted on the National Park Service's website. That was a complete surprise to me. I would have chose a different picture, but, it's good web publicity nonetheless. The highlight for me was going back to Springfield for Lincoln's 200th birthday celebration. I was on a panel with renowned Lincoln scholars and historians. Some of my family came to support me. That was one of the memorable moments. It was great to know that there were some familiar faces in the audience that day. I know that it was the first of many panels that I will sit on as a historian. There were so many events during that week to write about. However, the Abraham Lincoln Association banquet was the crowning moment. I purchased and altered a dress for this event. I was looking flawless. To make it better, President Barack Obama, a Lincoln fan showed up! It took all I had not to scream like a Jonas Brothers fan. My camera and cell phone batteries were low because I was taking pictures earlier in the day. I was not happy. But, at least I was in the room. So, this research has benefited me greatly and I have grown in the profession of history, I hope. I was asked to return to the site for the following summer and accepted the position with a different research topic. I'll be blogging about those experiences soon.
