WAYNESBORO, Pa. — Ashley Sonntag, executive director of Renfrew Museum and Park, detailed her background and what brought her to Waynesboro and her present position.
Sonntag, who grew up in northeast Philadelphia, said there were signs when she was growing up of her future interest in history and the outdoors. She enjoyed touring the historic areas of Philadelphia, dressing in historical costumes and family trips to famous historical sites such as Gettysburg.
Attending fine arts high school, she was active in academic and extracurricular activities. Her family enjoyed scouting activities, both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and Sonntag was a top-drawer seller of Girl Scout cookies. Standing outside stores or using family contacts, she sold 6,000 boxes to earn a whole summer of outdoor camp.
A career turning point came during her sophomore year in high school when she won a Civil War Institute of Gettysburg College scholarship. Sonntag greatly enjoyed her activities there, and “it steered me toward what I wanted to do,” she said. Attending Gettysburg College after high school, she continued to participate in Civil War Institute and other college activities before embarking on a career that now finds her supervising projects and activities at Renfrew.
