Luke Insana ’27 shares his internship experience as a Genetics student
Luke Insana ’27, from Bow NH, is a B.S. Genetics student at UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Luke shared his experience as a summer intern at the American-Canadian Genealogical Society (ACGS). This internship was made possible by UNH COLSA's SOAR Fund.
The SOAR fund is designed to assist undergraduate students with experiential learning expenses by providing compensation for internships and expenses.
Read more about his internship experience.
Where did you intern and what was your title?
I am the summer intern at the American-Canadian Genealogical Society (ACGS).
How did you get your internship?
After attending the NERGC Genealogy Conference in November 2025, I reached out to ACGS by email. The society’s president responded and let me know about a potential internship opportunity. We met over Zoom in January to discuss what the internship would involve and determined that it would be a good fit for me.
What did the day-to-day at your internship look like?
My day-to-day responsibilities depend on whether I am working in person or from home. In person, I assist patrons who are seeking genealogy information and support. I also catalog the Excess Book Collection in Google Sheets, documenting extra books in the library, including those the society plans to sell.
When working from home, I focus on an indexing project involving periodical records from the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia. I review the records for references to towns and parishes and add that information to a master spreadsheet.
What were your favorite parts of your internship? Any memorable moments?
My favorite part of my internship is helping people with their genealogy research. I learn something new every day by conducting research in real time, while also helping others have what can be a life-changing experience. I have noticed that as people learn more about their roots and family history, they often become emotional and develop a stronger sense of identity, confidence and pride in who they are and where they come from. I also enjoy genealogy as a hobby, so getting to do this work is an added bonus.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
The most valuable thing I have learned is how to work with other people doing this research. This experience has allowed me to build professionalism, and confidence in my research.
What are your future goals? Do you think the internship brought you closer to them?
My future goal is to become a professional genealogist to help people find their family origins using historical records and genetic evidence.
I believe this internship has brought me closer to those goals because I'm learning how to make this a reality.
Any advice for students looking for an internship?
Yes, follow your dreams and passions! Start networking with other people and find local opportunities that will allow you to build those dreams into a reality.
Tell us something you love about UNH.
What I love about UNH is its strong sense of community and the faculty who go out of their way to help students gain meaningful experiences and prepare for their careers.
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