Dave Marthy, Marist, '15

Majored in History with a Minor in Political Science

What has your career path been to this point?

In 2015, I commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army through the ROTC program at Marist College. As a Ranger-qualified Infantry Officer, I completed tours with the First Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Fort Carson, Colorado and The Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. I have completed operational deployments in the Middle East and Central America.

Can you share an experience or memory from your time at HRVI that stands out as meaningful?

During my 2015 internship with HRVI, I had the opportunity to research the Henry Knox Cannon Trail through studying the 56 trail markers stretching from Fort Ticonderoga in New York’s Adirondacks to Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston, Massachusetts. The research I conducted nurtured an interest in historical remembrance that I still have today. I became interested in the ways communities along the cannon trail celebrated, remembered, and sometimes neglected the historical markers since the Trail’s installation in 1915, on the sesquicentennial of the American Revolution. Of note, I had no idea that there was a trail marker only a quarter of a mile from my childhood home!

How has your experience at HRVI helped you advance your education and/or professional pursuits since graduating from Marist?

The connections I made with HRVI faculty and students are long-lasting. Since graduating, HRVI correspondence, programs, and publications have offered me a bridge to keep in contact with faculty and students at Marist College. As I endeavor to enter a graduate program in history, I have leaned on these relationships for mentorship and endorsements.

As HRVI celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, do you have any advice for future HRVI interns based on your time at HRVI and your experience in your professional field?

Your work at HRVI will be among the most important you do as an undergraduate student, so make it the best. Whether you publish or not, you will likely reference your contributions to Hudson River Valley history long after you graduate Marist College. Finally, build relationships with faculty and staff and keep in touch after you graduate!