UI student spends 2025 summer at Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown

Baseball Dreams Come True: Idaho Student Lands Internship at National Hall of Fame

Cooperstown Beckons With Historic Artifacts and Legends

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself to Isabelle Monk, a University of Idaho junior, when she was offered an internship at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "It wasn't a question of if, but a question of when I could start," Monk said, expressing her enthusiasm for the chance to immerse herself in baseball history.

This summer, Monk has been working at the museum based in Cooperstown, N.Y., a town she describes as "a town of about 2,000 people with one stoplight." The Hall of Fame, which opened in 1939, houses more than 40,000 baseball artifacts and serves as a repository for the sport's rich history. Monk witnessed firsthand the museum's impact during last weekend's highly anticipated Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

"The most mind-boggling part of it all is how a town like this gets probably 30,000 or so people at the induction ceremony," Monk said, highlighting the event's significance and attracting tens of thousands of baseball fans annually.

Monk had the privilege of meeting several baseball legends during her unforgettable weekend in Cooperstown. Growing up in Genesee, where sports were a constant presence, Monk fondly remembers watching major league games with her dad and papa, as well as trips to watch the NAIA World Series in Lewiston.

From Arizona to Cooperstown: An Internship Born from serendipity

Monk's journey to this dream internship began last winter during an impulsive trip to Scottsdale, Ariz., with her mother, Kim Monk, the Idaho state director for the Make It With Wool program. During a chance encounter, she met a Hall of Fame curator who provided her with a link to apply for the Steele Internship Program just a week before the deadline.

Monk, a marketing and public relations student at UI, secured a special events internship at the museum. A key part of her role involved planning and coordinating for Hall of Fame Weekend, allowing her to interact with all the living Hall of Famers.