Museum Internship Offers LI Student an Opportunity to Shine 

By David Stahler Jr.

I walk down the main gallery of the Fairbanks Museum, past the enormous display cases filled with taxidermied moose and muskrat, flamingos and frogs. The museum is dark and quiet. I’ve been walking past these cases for well over forty years, first as a little boy, later with my own children. As is true for most folks who have grown up in the Northeast Kingdom, it’s hard not to experience a pang of nostalgia whenever I enter this sanctuary dedicated largely to natural history.

But today, as I follow Damon Cawley, Director of Visitor Experience, through the gallery, something is different. It’s been a while since I last stepped into the museum, and rounding the corner past the giant moose, I’m brought into a wing with a beautiful two-story temporary exhibit—Dinosaurs Among Us—dedicated to exploring the link between dinosaurs and our own modern birds.

And this is when I see Chad Billings, at his station in the heart of the exhibit, waiting to give his presentation. 

“Ready to learn about some dinosaurs?” he asks me.

“You bet!” I say. 

With the help of a giant video display behind him, Chad digs in, working from a recently completed slide-show presentation that was several weeks in the making. His presentation is thorough and engaging; he speaks with obvious passion and thoughtfulness. Making his way through the alphabet, Chad introduces a new species of dinosaur with each slide, complete with pictures, statistics, and fun facts, dropping words like “behemoth” and “ornithomimid” with accuracy and ease. He is methodical and ready with eager answers to all my questions.

A senior at Lyndon Institute, Chad is a couple months into his internship at the Fairbanks Museum, coming to the museum every school day from 12:00 to 1:30. But Chad isn’t your typical student. Born with a very rare congenital disorder called Adams-Oliver Syndrome that presents both physical and cognitive challenges, Chad has more than overcome his condition to become a successful, engaged student at LI, a young man who sings in the school chorus and plays on the court as part of LI’s Unified Basketball team, a student who is known school-wide for both his kindness and sense of calm.

“So what’s a typical day at the museum like for you?” I ask him.

“Well, I usually say hi to Damon when I first get here. Then I set up. After that, I eat lunch, sometimes with the staff depending on who’s around. Then I get to work!”

For Chad, work doesn’t really feel like work. It’s something he loves: sharing his extensive knowledge of dinosaurs with whoever is around. So far this fall, that’s been mostly local visitors and tourists, but the museum is now entering field trip season, which means lots of young ones, from preschoolers to middle school groups. 

“Being able to share what I’ve learned with younger kids is what I like most about being here,” Chad tells me. “I’ve been interested in dinosaurs ever since I was little. The husband of one of my favorite teachers bought me a big book about dinosaurs when I was in 3rd grade, and I fell in love. I love prehistory in general,” he adds. “I especially think it’s neat how dinosaurs are connected to today’s birds.”

With a wide-ranging display exploring the link between dinosaurs and birds both downstairs and in the gallery above Chad’s presentation space, he is certainly in the right place. In fact, being able to spend each day in the museum in general is a dream come true for him, whether it’s on the floor or getting a glimpse at other parts of the museum.

“Only 30% of the dinosaur collection is on display right now,” he says. He describes a recent highlight—being able to spend time behind the scenes exploring some of the museum’s stored artifacts. 

Another highlight came two weeks ago when the museum staff presented him with an official Fairbanks Museum employee nametag.

“Chad has been an excellent addition to our team,” Cawley tells me. “I think this experience and the kind of contact he has with the public has really helped his presentation skills.” While the museum hosts local students in the summer, who are known as “Franklin Guides,” this kind of opportunity adds another dimension to how the museum reaches out to the community.

Chad isn’t alone when I meet him at the museum. His full-time instructional assistant, Paul Mosher, a retired Vermont State Police Trooper, is sitting in the wings ready to lend a hand if Chad needs it. 

“I transport him here from school and back, but there’s really not much else Chad needs me for, at least not here. It’s his show,” Mosher tells me. 

I ask Mosher, who has known Chad since Chad first visited LI in 8th grade, what he thinks of the internship.

“It’s just fantastic,” he says. “I’ve known him for over four years now, and it’s been amazing to see the growth and independence he’s been able to develop, but especially being here. He’s getting more confident dealing with all kinds of people. As for me, I’ve been learning a lot about dinosaurs from Chad, too! He’s a great teacher.”

While Mosher spends the school day with Chad, special educator Jessica Paul has also spent a lot of time with Chad during his years at LI and serves as his case manager. Paul worked with HireAbility Vermont and Michelle Parson, LI’s Work Based Learning Coordinator, to help arrange the internship with Fairbanks and helps oversee his progress. 

“Gaining work experience is a goal we have for many of our special needs students,” Paul explains. “It’s a really important part of developing independence. Chad has been wonderful about doing just that with this internship, especially in terms of communicating with the museum about his schedule, emailing the staff on days school isn’t open or he’s not available to come in, and using his visual checklist to make sure he’s organized on the days he is working.”

Chad’s mother, Amy Billings, is also grateful that her son has been able to have this kind of an experience.

“Honestly, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him,” Billings says. “He’s been fascinated with paleontology and insects since he was little. Every afternoon I ask him ‘How was your day today?’ For Chad, every day is a great day, but since he started his internship at Fairbanks, it’s all he wants to talk about. 

“He has always been shy in social settings, preferring to sit back, watch, and listen. But in this role, he has something to share. Giving information to strangers has given him confidence and allows him a chance to shine. It just makes him feel good!”