Sebastiaan Nijland was the RIAS intern from April to June 2025. He is currently finishing his master’s thesis in American Studies, focusing on the U.S. neo-Nazi scene in the second half of the twentieth century.
“I really enjoyed my time at the RIAS. It was a great chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the academic world and meet a wide range of interesting scholars from all over the world. I especially liked working with the library and microfilm collections. Things like IBL requests, tracking down books, and even helping to find sources for my own research were all incredibly useful skills I picked up.
My internship turned out to be one of the busiest times I’ve had in years. I helped out with about five major events and plenty of smaller ones, including the A Waters History of the United States conference and the 30th Amerikanistendag. Even though the schedule was packed, I still felt the work was really varied and fun, which kept me motivated and engaged every day. During my internship, I also worked on my master’s thesis, a 23,000-word project that I am currently completing. Balancing the thesis alongside the internship kept me busy but also helped me stay focused and productive. Throughout all the busyness, the staff at RIAS were incredibly supportive. They helped me correct mistakes, build new skills, and gain confidence which made a huge difference.
Overall, RIAS is an amazing place to intern. It’s full of a diverse and passionate group of people who make the experience so much richer. I’d definitely recommend it to any student in American Studies even if you’re not planning to do a PhD.
I want to give a special thanks to Leontien Gaetano, Damian, Lea, Balint, my fellow intern Marnix Vader, and visiting professor James Kimble, who not only collaborated with me but also became friends
