Washington DC Bound-Thanks to the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship

This image was generated using DALL-E 2025. 

Ever since I took a Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP)—now the GRIP Genealogy Institute—course on Guide to Treasures in Federal Records with Michael Strauss, I have wanted to attend the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, or Gen-Fed for short.

Gen-Fed is a weeklong, in-depth course held in Washington, D.C., where attendees study and research at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Due to its popularity, attendees are chosen via a lottery. This year, the class size is around forty, making it one of the more challenging genealogical research institutes to get into.

I received an email announcing the sign-up period, along with information about a scholarship opportunity. I knew the costs of attending, and I also knew that being awarded a scholarship would be an incredible honor. I never expected it, but to my surprise, I was awarded the Richard S. Lackey Scholarship.

I wrote my scholarship application on a cold afternoon here in Michigan, dreaming of a steamy August day in D.C. The application required me to describe my genealogical background and explain how attending the institute would benefit my work in the genealogy community.

The first part was fairly easy—I referenced my genealogy résumé and wrote about my research interests, contributions to the genealogy community, and leadership roles in Michigan.

For the second part, I focused on my work with the Fort Custer Historical Society as a volunteer librarian and archivist. I wrote, “This opportunity would equip me with the knowledge and confidence to assist others in researching United States federal records.” I also described the types of research inquiries we receive, including those related to World War I, World War II, and the German prisoners of war held at Fort Custer during World War II. I concluded my application by emphasizing that attending Gen-Fed and learning about federal records would allow me to provide more successful, meaningful, and impactful responses to these inquiries.

I never thought I would win—I assumed I would be competing against more seasoned researchers. However, I felt confident that I had the skills necessary to attend such a prestigious institute.

I am incredibly grateful and honored to have been awarded this scholarship to attend Gen-Fed. I look forward to immersing myself in learning and gaining knowledge that I can pass on to the many families seeking to understand their relatives’ experiences at Fort Custer.

Disclosure

This blog post was proofread using ChatGPT and only minor edits were used, mainly the use of em dashes.

The image used on this blog post was created by AI software. The visual was designed using prompts written by the author.