See You Later, Citrus

            A year and a half have passed since I first started with the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame here at the Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center. Though I can hardly believe it, with graduation arriving soon, my time here is coming to an end. Thankfully, I will be leaving with many experiences to look back on, as well as newly acquired skills on which I can now rely.

            Looking back, I’m amazed at the many projects and collections I have worked on since starting here. I have researched and written articles and blog posts on several topics, such as the inductees, special events, and crate labels. I have also scanned, inventoried, and archived many historical photographs and documents on the Florida Citrus Industry from different collections, like the Jerry Chicone Crate Label Collection and Anthony Whiting Crate Label Collection. In addition, I had the opportunity to present my paper on the Florida Citrus Queens/Miss Florida Citrus at the Florida Conference of Historians. Oh, and I can’t forget the chance I got every day to share on social media the many interesting facts, articles, and photographs I found related to the citrus industry for others to see and be informed.

            As a plus, I had the chance to attend quite a few exciting events too, such as the Florida Citrus Queen/Miss Florida Citrus reunion at Bok Tower Gardens and the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductee Ceremony here at Florida Southern College, both of which gave me the opportunity to meet many interesting people in the Florida Citrus Industry. 

            Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to research, work with, and create digital and physical exhibits for the archives on varying topics with my fellow citrus coworkers. These topics include citrus workers, citrus memorabilia, the Orange Bird, the Florida Citrus Queens/Miss Florida Citrus, citrus crate labels, citrus postcards, the Waverly collection, packinghouses, and the Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives Collection. These exhibits will hopefully be up in time for next semester. 

            My time here has been one long learning experience. I will never forget the history I have become so fond of, the people I have met, and the memories I have made during my time here. I am so grateful to all of the people who have been involved with my job as well. The friendships I have made here and the research, communication, organizational, and writing skills I have acquired here will stay with me as I continue on to whatever career path is in store for me. 

            However, though I am saying goodbye to my job, I am not saying goodbye to citrus. Like I said in my very first blog post when I started working here, each time I even drink my orange juice, “I’ll be thinking about the history behind it and all of the people involved.”

So see you later, citrus. I will never see you the same way again.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center