In the fall of 2007, Lindsey Sink conducted  independent honors research for the History  Department under the  supervision of Dr. Michael  Nelson. Her research studied  the  integration  process in Laurens County District 56 public schools  in  Clinton, South Carolina.  
 For this honors  paper, the  Confederation of South  Carolina Local  Historical Societies awarded Lindsey  the Margaret Watson History Award for the  most outstanding paper on the study and  interpretation of  South Carolina history.

 Lindsey’s Reflections:
 ‘Taking on an [honors] research project allowed  me  to delve into and gain a stronger understanding of  what historical research is all about. I conducted  personal interviews in nursing homes, schools, and  residences all over Clinton, befriended the PC  archives' staff, and  spent hours in the stack rooms  of  the Clinton Chronicle newspaper office. Most  importantly, my research gave  members of the  community the opportunity to tell their stories, both  positive and negative, and allowed me to reflect on  a  period of history that has greatly shaped our  country  today. Their stories and  experiences also  allowed me  to understand history from a more  personal point of  view, as I experienced firsthand  the release of  every emotion tied to desegregation.  By the end of  the  semester, I not only had a  greater appreciation  for the desegregation  movement, but I also felt like  more of a part of the  Clinton community.’

Sarah’s Reflections:
‘Coming into college I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future, [but] one of my friends told me about the International Justice Mission, an organization which works with lawyers in other countries where people’s rights are being oppressed such as in sweat shop or child labor cases. [This] started me thinking about the possibility of pursuing a law degree with a focus in International and Human Rights Law. In order to look at this possibility further I decided it would be good to do an internship with a lawyer. While the lawyer I am working with does not practice International Law, I have found that her work with the Department of Social Services and Family Court do tie into Human Rights Law in ways that I did not expect. Thus my internship has already stretched my ideas for my future, helping me to realize that my desire to help people through Human Rights Law does not necessarily have to be at an international level. I am hoping that throughout the rest of this semester, my internship will continue to confirm and challenge my ideas for my future and what God is calling me to do.’

 Leah’s Reflections:
 ‘The summer following my sophomore year, I did an  internship at Kings Mountain National Military Park in  Blacksburg, South Carolina. This park commemorates  the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings  Mountain. Thomas Jefferson, the future President,  called the battle “The turn of the tide of success” in  the American Revolution. For me, my internship  experience at this park served as “the turn of  the tide  of success” in the search for my future  career. After  working at the visitor center for  four months, I  developed a love for this period   in history and a  desire to make its  interpretation for the public  my  life’s work. As a  result of my internship, I now  work  as a  seasonal interpretive ranger at Kings  Mountain  and plan to continue this career in the  National  Park Service after graduate school.’