Brandon Nakashima went on a fruitful research trip this summer, preparing for his senior thesis this year. Brandon was the recipient of the Johannsen Scholarship for Promising Senior Honors Thesis Research. https://history.illinois.edu/award/robert-w-johannsen-scholarship-promising-senior-honors-thesis-research

About the photos:  The top one is Brandon after uncovering a 19th century draw knife that was used for cutting wood. The left picture is him at the Great Salt Springs in Equality, IL, where much of his research is based off.  This is where many of the African-American slaves he studied once worked in the 19th century. The bottom right photo is of Old Shawnnetown's town sign, where Brandon did a lot of historical research in their library with their historical society.