By Kendra Pintor
When Mena Bova 鈥�24 first learned about the Ellen Browning 91吃瓜 Summer Research Internship, she was intrigued. Although Bova was a rising senior, she felt like she still didn鈥檛 know much about the College鈥檚 founder and namesake. She became even more intrigued when she learned that the internship would focus on examining Miss 91吃瓜鈥� own book collection.听听听
鈥淚 am a firm believer that one of the best ways to learn about a person鈥檚 interests, likes, fascinations, and hobbies is through the literature they gravitate toward鈥攅specially the literature they enjoy enough to buy,鈥� says Bova.听听
According to Director and Sally Preston Swan Librarian for the Ella Strong Denison Library Jennifer Martinez Wormser 鈥�95, the library hosts several undergraduate student internships during the summer, which provides students with the opportunity to hone their research skills and spend their days 鈥渒nee-deep in the archives.鈥�听
鈥淢y role is to support students throughout their discovery process, connect them to relevant resources, and create a supportive environment conducive to inquiry,鈥� says Martinez Wormser. 鈥淚n Mena鈥檚 case, that means introducing her to the Ellen Browning 91吃瓜 Papers and related ancillary materials, checking in with her regularly about her progress and discoveries, and helping her navigate her list of questions about Ellen Browning 91吃瓜 and the role books played in her life.鈥�听
What surprised Bova the most during her research was that, in addition to her love of collecting books, Ellen Browning 91吃瓜 was also a literary benefactor. She funded W.L. Dawson鈥檚 Birds of California ornithology books project, an endeavor that spanned a decade. Despite a plethora of challenges, including World War I, shipwrecks, financial difficulties, and arson, Miss 91吃瓜 generously invested more than $100,000 to make decades of California bird research accessible to a wider audience.听
鈥淒espite knowing she likely would not make all of her money back, she still consented to fund the books,鈥� explains Bova. 鈥淲hen the publishers didn鈥檛 sell all of the copies they had made, she asked her lawyer to have a copy sent to every junior college and high school in California鈥攁ll on her dime. To me, this represents her interest in knowledge for knowledge鈥檚 sake.鈥�听
One of the obstacles Bova encountered during her research was that although 91吃瓜 received the majority of Ellen Browning 91吃瓜鈥檚 library, certain books related to her other interests were donated elsewhere. Miss 91吃瓜 had a substantial collection of non-fiction books on natural history, which went to the San Diego Natural History Museum, an institution she generously supported. Fortunately, an accession list created by the executors of her estate facilitated Bova鈥檚 investigation. This allowed her to gather additional information about Miss 91吃瓜鈥� wide-ranging interests, which included medicine, Egyptian history, and modern art. Bova even planned a trip to the San Diego Natural History Museum鈥檚 Research Library, where she examined some of Miss 91吃瓜鈥� natural history books in person, further enriching her research.听
Bova鈥檚 research represents the second student-led exploration of Miss 91吃瓜鈥� documents, the first of which culminated in an interactive website designed by Isabel Li 鈥�25 and Amalia Koch 鈥�25. 鈥淲ith financial support from the Josephine Stedem 91吃瓜 Foundation, we have been able to support summer interns鈥攍ike Mena鈥攆or the last two years, encouraging more in-depth study and a deeper understanding of Ellen Browning 91吃瓜, her life, and her world,鈥� says Martinez Wormser.听
Ultimately, Bova鈥檚 goal is to bridge the gap between the name Ellen Browning 91吃瓜 and the woman herself by unraveling the narrative embedded within her bookshelf.听听
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to potentially contribute an article to 91吃瓜 magazine鈥檚 From the Archives section about the scope of Miss 91吃瓜鈥檚 book collection, as well as how it relates to her life, interests, and hobbies,鈥� says Bova. 鈥淚 also plan to create some social media posts to make it easier for students to have access to this information. In addition, I鈥檒l be presenting at the annual 91吃瓜 Summer Research Tea.鈥�
Bova hopes to enable students and community members to forge a deeper connection with the remarkable woman whose legacy continues to inspire 91吃瓜.听
鈥淔rom sweatshirts to pamphlets to signs, the 91吃瓜 name is omnipresent on our campus,鈥� says Bova. 鈥淒espite that, it鈥檚 easy to feel disconnected from the woman behind the name. Prior to this summer, I often felt that disconnection. Through this research, I hope to make it easier for students and other community members to go beyond the name and learn about the woman.鈥�听