Bank of America + Conner Prairie: Supporting Tomorrow’s Leaders
Bank of America made its first major gift to Conner Prairie in 2018 and is today among the museum’s largest corporate sponsors. The company supports a wide variety of festivals and projects, including Headless Horseman, History on Tap, Museums on Us, and internships at Conner Prairie.
Bank of America takes community support seriously and is committed to promoting youth employment and advancing economic mobility. Since 2019, Bank of America has generously underwritten our Prairieship Program, a paid internship program designed to provide project-specific, professional experiences for the next generation of museum and cultural institution professionals.
“Bank of America is committed to supporting community initiatives. Our continued support of Conner Prairie’s Prairieship Intern Program is opening doors to not only unique learning opportunities and paid internships but also to greater pathways to economic mobility for young adults around Central Indiana,” said Andy Crask, president Bank of America Indianapolis. “Our partnership truly aligns with the bank’s strategy of advancing economic opportunity and workforce development.”
Adds Geordan Coleman, market executive, Bank of America Indianapolis, “Prairieships at Conner Prairie instills strong leadership skills and ethical values to nonprofits and museums. From its beginning, the program has been a pillar of Bank of America in Indianapolis and reinforces how we continuously support our young people especially through internships that can lead to a stronger workforce in central Indianapolis.”
We are grateful for the opportunities that this program allows us to pour into these young adults. Each year’s internship projects are vastly different, yet our goal remains the same: to help our interns get real-world experience in the not-for-profit world related to their chosen courses of study.
This year, Bank of America also selected Conner Prairie as a host site for its Student Leaders Program, which aims to prepare a diverse group of young students to be community-minded and successful in the workforce. Four high school and early college students have interned with Conner Prairie, supporting fundraising and marketing efforts.
Hear straight from our Prairieship and Student Leader interns below about what their experience at Conner Prairie, made possible by Bank of America, has meant to them!
Jada Powell – Student Leader Intern, Graphic Design
As a rising senior with aspirations to become a lawyer and eventually a judge, my experience at Conner Prairie through the opportunities provided by Bank of America has been invaluable. This internship has given me hands-on experience in digital design and creating ads, and I’ve received crucial guidance and tips that I can apply to future projects. Not only have I been able to see how museums and nonprofits operate from the inside, but I’ve also had the chance to network with professionals who have offered invaluable insights. Additionally, I’m working on a business that focuses on creating designs, logos, and clothing items, and digital design is a key part of that. This experience has brought me one step closer to achieving my long-term goals and has expanded my impact through volunteering, aligning perfectly with my passion for helping others and making a positive difference in the world.
Jihoon Kwon – Student Leader Intern, Social Media
Bank of America has provided me with an opportunity to expand my impact through volunteering and also learn from the leadership at Conner Prairie. As a pre-med student and an aspiring doctor/medical researcher, I especially found exposure to the foundation grant writing helpful. Furthermore, as most of the work I did during high school has been unpaid research internships, shadowing, and volunteering, I have not had many opportunities for exploring my passions and deepening my impact while being paid. Being part of Bank of America Student Leaders is allowing me to extend my passion while helping me be financially compensated for my work, especially as an incoming college student.
Kaitlin Pumper – Student Leader Intern, Fundraising
Bank of America’s Student Leaders Program is setting me up for the future by providing me with job experience, volunteer opportunities, and networking opportunities. This internship is providing me with the resources to become a greater leader in my community while also saving money for college. As a high school senior still deciding between pursuing a career in investment banking or neurosurgery, I found exposure to Microsoft Excel and Word and researching donor programs for Conner Prairie’s Development Team helpful, as both careers involve researching and creating reports. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Student Leaders Program and work with Conner Prairie, and I am excited for the rest of the internship.
Mariah Questelles – Student Leader Intern, Fundraising
My name is Mariah Questelles. I am currently a rising senior. My dream has been to be a doctor since I was very young. From watching Doc McStuffins hoping to be like her, to now studying and creating every avenue for me to succeed in the medical field. Once I graduate in May 2025, I hope to go study psychology pre-med, then go to medical school to become either a cardiovascular surgeon or a neurosurgeon. Being an African American doctor, who is also a woman allows me so many chances to help my community and those behind me. I also have a baking business that is in the very beginning stages, which I hope to grow. Baking is one of my hobbies and I use it to honor my late grandmother. Being a part of this internship has opened new doors for me, mentally and business-wise, and is helping me as I work to accomplish my goals.
While I’m interning at Conner Prairie, I am working on the development and advancement team. I create and redesign sponsorship and membership packages and I do research on the market for prospective donors and programs. Interning at Conner Prairie has taught me a great deal of how to foster donor relationships, market programs, and how to intrigue the community in their cause, all of which I can use to help me grow my business. We also participated in many webinars and classes about donor relationships, LinkedIn training, and financial direction. These classes grew my confidence and knowledge on how to market myself in the professional world. I can definitely say that participating in this internship has made me at least a step closer to achieving my goals and with efficiency. I am very grateful to the Bank of America and Conner Prairie team for this opportunity.
Ella Satterfield – Digital Video Intern
My name is Ella Satterfield, I am a rising Junior in Film at Ringling College of Art and Design, and I am the current Digital Experience intern! This Prairieship has combined my love for Conner Prairie with the skills I have been gaining with my Film degree and has allowed me to explore ways film and history can combine to tell impactful stories. I’ve been incredibly hands-on with projects that help me gain valuable experience in the field and allow me to grow as a filmmaker and person! As I head into my upperclassmen years at college, I have loved being able to explore this career path as something I could see myself doing in the future.
The Prairieship has given me an opportunity to work on projects that will leave an impact on the museum and the surrounding area. I am creating things that I will be proud of for years to come all while working with amazing people! It has been an ideal way to spend my summer, having fun and working hard but getting to learn amazing things!
Gabbie Black – Youth Leadership Intern
My name is Gabbie Black, the Youth Leadership Intern this summer at Conner Prairie. I’m entering my senior year at Indiana University-Bloomington, studying Exercise Science and Kinesiology. My role as an intern at Conner Prairie has given me the opportunity to mentor youth volunteers between the ages of 12-16 in their interpretation, leadership and teambuilding skills. I’ve also been able to build my resume by organizing a leadership retreat for the kids and planning their end of summer party
After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school to pursue a Master’s of Sport Management and work in sports for professional teams or sports organizations. This experience has helped me strengthen the time management and prioritization skills I will need to thrive in grad school. I have also been able to be mentored by not only my intern supervisors, but current Adult Volunteers at Conner Prairie. They have all shared their own unique experiences with me and given me tips on how to continue to succeed post-secondary. I look forward to sharing more about my time this summer with others in the future!
Hannah Barton – Interpretation/Curatorial Intern
Growing up, I always loved going to museums, but I never pictured myself spending my career in them. I began my studies in psychology but soon realized that the job options did not necessarily reflect my passion for the subject. In studying a science, I realized that I was missing a large part of my life – art. I changed my major to art history with the intent to work in an art museum; however, my experience in various classes and at three different institutions have made me expand my interest beyond that of the art world.
This Conner Prairie internship has allowed me to see the museum field more closely. I worked in the archives and started an archival system for a specific project. Currently, I am researching the history of education in Indiana in the early 1800s in order to put together a book for the schoolhouse interpretation post. I have also had the opportunity to sit in on a few meetings, participate in public-facing interpretation, and collaborate with other departments. This has given me the opportunity to pinpoint what aspects of the museum field I enjoy, dislike, work well in, and struggle with.
James Jones – Facilities – Grounds Intern
My name is James Jones and I am an intern at Conner Prairie. I map the invasive plants around the property for submission to the local or state government, as well as volunteer groups, for the removal or funding to remove the harmful plants. Whatever I do with my life, I’d like it to be dynamic and impactful. With my concentration of study being field botany, I have considered working for the parks, either here or in a state out west; I’ve thought about being an arborist, a naturalist, working with resource restoration in areas that have been hurt by human activity.
I have learned a lot so far during this internship. I’ve gotten better at plant ID, I understand better how invasives tend to migrate and the patterns in which they grow; I’ve become familiar with the ARCGIS software and how to conduct a field study. It’s also improved my work ethic. It can be a hard job, where the terrain isn’t always ideal and it’s hot most days, but I have found that anything that builds mental and physical tenacity is usually beneficial. Most importantly, this is exactly the type of job I may do for a park or wildlife organization, so it’s a bit of professional experience, as well as academic.
Madeline Newton – Show Writer Intern
My name is Madeline Newton and I am a current Senior at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. I study writing and producing for television with a concentration in early elementary educational media. I hope to bring a Children’s Television Writing minor to DePaul, making it the first school in the United States to have collegiate level education for how to create kids’ tv. My passion for art with meaning and the ability to help shape the youth of the new generation with visual media helps me to find and focus on opportunities to shape the world. I hope to be able to inspire children with work that I hoped for when I was young.
Here at Conner Prairie, I am a Show Writer Intern focusing on scripted content and story building for the Trail of Terror experience at The Headless Horseman Fall Festival. I am so grateful for the plethora of connections I have been able to make while working here. I have met people with experience in many fields and plenty of knowledge to share. Additionally, I have gained so much knowledge about the culture of work at museums and how my degree can apply to a variety of experiences for my future career options. This has been a great chance to make connections, gain experience, and gather knowledge for my future pursuits!
Tori Satchwell – Volunteer Management Intern
I am a rising senior at Butler University studying English and Marketing, but I’ve always had a love for service learning. As the Volunteer Management Intern, I’m blending my passions and practical skills to create updated recruitment materials and plan the summer celebration.
Prior to this Prairieship, I was unsure if my passion could lead to a realistic career. Thanks to the support of the Conner Prairie team, I am now planning to attend grad school to obtain my Masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs. With this, I would love to work with a college campus’ Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement to inspire the next generation of servant leaders.