I am from the Greater Cincinnati area and attended Middletown and West Chester public schools. I graduated from UC in the spring of 2018 with a BA in History, a Political Science minor, and a Screenwriting certificate. While at UC, I won the Lenore F. McGrane Award for Most Promising Student in U.S. History (twice), was a Phi Alpha Theta, The National History Honors Society member, and was a UC Honors Program member. In 2018, I won the University of Cincinnati Eleanor Hicks Prize, an award that is given each year by the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences to graduating women deemed most outstanding for their academic achievement, character, and contributions to the university and the broader community. I was nominated for this award by UC History.
What are you up to these days?
Currently, I am in a PhD program to become a historian. I am a PhD Candidate in American History at Northwestern University.
What brought you to history at UC?
I’ve always had a love of history. I’ve been infatuated with the nineteenth century since I was in middle school. When I started at UC, I wasn’t a history major. I saw history as more of a passion interest. Along the way, I realized that I was attracted to jobs that required writing and storytelling. I took a global history class with Dr. Williard Sunderland to fulfill my gen. ed. requirements, and I had an epiphany that historians were storytellers. His book The Baron’s Cloak: A History of the Russian Empire in War and Revolution is amazing. Soon after, I changed my major to History.
What did you focus on as a history student at UC?
In my time, there were no formal specializations in the major. But I took as many US history classes as time and space allowed.
Did you have any favorite history courses? Which ones and why?
Besides Dr. Sunderland’s world history courses, I most enjoyed Global History of WWII with Dr. Jeffrey Zalar. The class was in the Honor’s program with a short study abroad trip to Europe during winter break. The coursework was very challenging. Dr. Zalar held us to a high standard, and I learned a lot about how historians approach argumentation. As I craft my own approach to undergraduate education, I draw on this experience. Ironically, I loved that Dr. Zalar was much more interested in teaching us how to think than training us to be historians. This is the exact learning experience I want to recreate for my students.
The study tour portion of the course was also amazing. This was my first international experience. I caught the travel bug in college and it hasn’t left me yet.
What did you focus on in your capstone and why?
My project explored American enslaved people’s experience of domestic life. I have always had an interest in African American cultural life. These interests remain central to my research today.
What skills did you pick up from studying history that have served you well beyond your courses?
I decided to pursue a career as a historian. My experience of the skills I learned are likely unique. Faculty taught me how to craft a fact-based argument. However, these critical thinking and writing skills have a lot of utility outside of academia as well. We live in a world where truth and facts are under attack. The ability to critically evaluate a narrative is invaluable.
Have any advice for current students?
My biggest piece of advice is to not limit your interests. As an 18-20 year old, I thought I had a good sense of my interests. In reality, I hadn’t lived enough life to be so certain. College is the time for exploration. Take the classes or the join organizations that might seem off base at first. For example, I wish I would have taken classes in the business school or the courses offered to non-majors in DAAP or CCM. I’ve found a lot of joy in trying a wide variety of new things for the sake of the experience. As my friends and I say, do it for the plot!
