Our first intern!
My name is Sascha Baldauf, I am the first intern that The Shipwreck Survey has had on their field schools. I was lucky enough to participate in the 2025 summer field school in Bonaire. I am so very grateful to have been given this opportunity by the lovely Alex Hinton and Dr. Ruud Stelten. I first met them on Salt Cay in the summer of 2024. I was there completing a field school requirement for my undergraduate program. As soon as I landed in Turks and Caicos, I was welcomed by Alex and Ruud and knew we were going to be friends. After the field school on Salt Cay, they invited me to be their intern on Bonaire, and I eagerly accepted!
Bonaire was an incredible experience! I was excited to contribute as a member of staff rather than in a student capacity. Although I was given access to the material regarding the trip in advance, I still didn’t know exactly what to expect. However, I was confident that I got to be with great friends conducting an internship in the Caribbean! As the internship started, I worked to prepare student documents, organize orders, document information from student preference sheets, set up common areas for presentations, participate in itinerary planning, and act as an extra body in the water on dives to make sure students were comfortable and safe. I not only got to see the hard work Alex and Ruud put into planning their programs, but also how they handle conflict or unexpected obstacles when they arise. Every day was different and hosted a new set of learning opportunities and duties that I got to conduct. The experience was enriching and added to my understanding of how quality research is thoughtfully prepared and conducted.
My internship was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in important research in a beautiful place with great people. Of course, with new experiences comes new people and I not only had the pleasure of working with Alex and Ruud but also the lovely staff they invite each year. This trip I had the privilege of meeting the amazing Allie Belcher and together we worked to provide the students with transportation to and from dives sites, meals, and our accommodations. As part of the internship, I was invited to help present information about the island and our sites. I was also asked to share my personal capstone work to the students. I was so glad to get the opportunity to not only share my work but also be given a space to grow and learn about aspects of marine archaeology that are not generally taught during undergraduate and graduate programs, such as the logistics of putting together field schools. Of course the research is important, but so is accommodating students, planning dinners, communication with dive shops, coordinating rental vehicles, etc. I not only learned a great deal of the behind-the-scenes work, but I also got to spend three weeks in the Caribbean with great friends, and I am so grateful to have had the experience. I encourage anyone to apply themselves to be an intern for the Shipwreck Survey.
