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Greg Tremblay interned with CCHS during the Spring 2021 semester. He learned about historic preservation projects and initiatives in Cumberland County and has written a series of blog posts detailing his experience.

Interning At 43

Yes, you read that right. Hi, my name is Greg Tremblay, originally from Troy, N.Y., and I am a 43-year-old senior at Shippensburg University interning at the Cumberland County Historical Society. And this was definitely not part of the plan.

What was the plan? Well, to get by on my good looks, of course.

Just kidding!

I thought I had it figured out back in 2017. I had just retired from the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer on March 1st. If I went right to work as a civilian, I might have gotten locked into a job and would not have the time for school. Also, if the job was a keeper, there was a possibility that I might not use my Montgomery GI Bill benefits at all.

So, after consulting with my better half – Mindy, my wonderful wife of twelve years at the time – we decided that going to college in the fall of 2017 was a good idea. Our son Gage turned five in March of 2017, so he was about to begin elementary school. We could begin school together.

Going to school was a big deal to me. I had my shot in 1995, and it didn’t work out – a long story, and a story for telling some other time. Fast forward 22 years, and I still had those thoughts of wanting to experience life as a college student. I vividly remember touring the campus at the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y. I had fond memories of that day, and I wanted to experience it again.

What better place to experience life as a non-traditional student living in Cumberland County, with a family and house, commuting to school every day? Shippensburg University! I enrolled as a Business Major, minoring in History.

You know, at some point in our lives we realize that some things in life are just not meant to be. Some of us will never be able to dunk a basketball. Some of us just cannot learn how to ride a bike. I could not do calculus.

Or dunk a basketball.

But I was good riding a bike, though.

Seriously, calculus was my sticking point. I could not get it, and that was a requirement for a business degree. So, I dropped my minor and switched my major to History, and never looked back.

In part two, I’ll explain how I got to be an intern at the Historical Society – the who, how and why of it. I hope you’ll stay tuned!