The history of humanity and its many cultures have fascinated Mackenzi Roach ’26 since she was young.
That passion led to Roach pursuing an anthropology degree at UT San Antonio and interning with the Preserving Archives of Texas Heritage (PATH) program.
Launched in 2025, PATH is coordinated by UT San Antonio Libraries in partnership with the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions’ (AIT-SCM) Texas Heritage Project and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
The hands-on internship gives students experience in cultural resource management and preservation while allowing them to explore the history of San Antonio and South Texas. Student interns directly contribute to projects that broaden access to historically significant collections such as maps, documents and other records.
Roach worked with historic maps tied to the San Antonio Missions and developed a digital inventory to better preserve them for future access. The work helped her learn key skills in archival processing, digital preservation and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, all while engaging with the community.
“This internship has shown me how archives bring history to life and expand access to important resources,” Roach said.
This fall, Roach began a master’s degree program in library and information sciences with a concentration in archival studies at the University of Alabama, where she will continue to build on the practical skills she learned during her PATH internship.
“More than anything, these experiences helped me realize I can turn my passion for history, research and storytelling into a real career path as I continue my education,” Roach said.
Discover how Mackenzi Roach gained hands-on archival preservation experience.
