The Bentley Historical Library has selected the recipients of the 2026 Peikert Fellowships, which are awarded annually to one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Funded through a generous donation from Michael Peikert (LSA ’70) and Frances Peikert, fellows spend eight weeks at the Bentley during the summer with a focus on preserving U-M athletics history, learning about the history of U-M sports, and building professional archival skills.
This year’s graduate student recipient is Berkley Sorrells, and the undergraduate recipient is Jaxson Kaplan-Rudolph.
Berkley, who is originally from East Lansing, Michigan, just completed her first year in the University of Michigan School of Information’s Master of Science in Information program. She is focusing on the Libraries, Archives, and Knowledge Environments in Society curriculum.
Berkley completed her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University, where she was a student in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) and the history program.. As an undergraduate, she worked at the MSU Libraries Rare Books and Special Collections and the Michigan State University Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate on campus, where she gained experience in cultural collections, quilts, and textiles.
“Working in special collections and at the museum were mind-blowing experiences because I was like, ‘Oh, this is a career.’ It went from something vague to something tangible.”
After graduation and a few years working as an Americorps service member in Ferndale Public Schools in metro Detroit, Berkley remembers calling her family to say she wanted to go back to school to be a librarian or archivist. Then, a scholarship to U-M solidified her graduate school plans. “As a Michiagn native, to have such a wonderful program in my backyard is amazing. I’m so grateful.”
Jackson grew up in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and just completed his freshman year at the University of Michigan. He is a sports editor for The Michigan Daily and was previously an apprentice for the Detroit Free Press.
“History has been one of my favorite subjects, and I enjoy learning about Michigan sports,” he says. “Plus my whole family went to U-M.”
Currently, Jaxson is helping catalog old football programs. Soon, he will join Berkley in focusing on women’s athletics, where part of their work will be getting images off of old CDs so the pictures can be available to the public.
“I’m learning so much about how popular women’s sports were, and how the University got rid of them and then brought them back, and how women had to fight to have their own sports,” Jaxson says.
Berkley will also be processing papers from the first women’s volleyball coach, Sandy Vong. “This is the first collection I’ve ever processed, and I’m excited to dig in,” Berkley says.
“I’ve been given the opportunity to learn and try new things and to be part of conversations,” Berkley adds. “As a young professional in this field, the Bentley has given me every opportunity to learn and begin my career. I really love it here.”
Learn More
Meet last year’s Peikert Fellows, Lily Fritsch and Nathan Schreck.
