What made you choose the University of Northern Iowa?

Both of my parents went to UNI. We used to live in Marion when I was little, and they would always bring me back to Cedar Falls for the homecoming game. I always loved getting to visit campus. At the age of five I decided I was going to go to UNI and never considered anything else.

What have you enjoyed the most about your experience at UNI? 

I’ve really enjoyed getting to learn about and discuss history with other people who are enthusiastic about it. I also really loved getting to work at the UNI Museum.

What first sparked your interest in your major?

I loved the historical American Girl dolls when I was little. I think reading their books was what really got me interested in history.

What have been some of your favorite aspects of the major? 

I’ve really enjoyed my history classes. They’ve given me the opportunity to learn about topics that I didn’t get the chance to learn about in grade school, like the witchcraft hysteria in Renaissance Europe and the impact of piracy around the world. I also really enjoyed getting to write research papers on topics that I chose myself. In freshman year, I wrote a paper on student protests at UNI during the Vietnam War era. It was a lot of fun going to Rod Library and looking through the microfilm to find old newspaper articles from that time. In senior year I got to write a paper on the evolution of the portrayal of Disney heroines and how it related to the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. I really enjoyed the opportunity to connect my major to a topic that seems totally unrelated at first glance.

How have you been involved outside the classroom?

I was a part of the May 2024 two-week study abroad trip to France. It was really exciting to see places that I’d dreamed about going to since I was a kid. A lot of the places we visited were also historic sites, which made it even better. There was something really powerful about walking down a street in Nimes, turning the corner and seeing a beautifully restored Roman temple surrounded by modern buildings. It makes you think about how long that temple’s been standing there and what it’s seen over its two-thousand year existence. Experiencing French culture was also a great learning experience that I wouldn’t have gotten had I never left the United States. I have also completed a few internships. Watching my internship supervisor at the Cedar Falls Historical Society made me realize just how important the relationship between a museum and its community is, which is crucial for me to keep in mind as I hope to go into museum work. I’m also a member of the UNI History Club, and have been its president for the past year. I really enjoyed the opportunities the club has given me to discuss and learn about history with other people outside of class.

Which professors or mentors have had the biggest impact on your time at UNI, and how?

Dr. Jennifer McNabb has been my advisor for my honors thesis, and I’m very grateful for the advice and feedback she’s been giving me throughout the project. I also got the opportunity to be a peer mentor for her witchcraft class, another opportunity I’m grateful for. Dr. John Burnight’s Old Testament and New Testament classes, which I took my sophomore year, were really eye-opening and helped me gain a deeper understanding of why certain things in our culture are the way they are. Dr. Elizabeth Zwanziger has been an incredible French professor and her classes were always a highlight of my semester when I had them. I also really enjoyed Dr. Robert Dise’s classes on Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to go to graduate school for a Master’s degree in Museum Studies at Western Illinois University in Moline, Illinois.

In what ways has UNI and your major helped prepare you for your next steps?

UNI has prepared me for my next steps by giving me a good foundation to build from. I will be able to take the things that I have learned from my major with me as I prepare to pursue a career in museum work, which is a field that is very connected with history. Living in the dorms has also helped me develop a sense of independence and a feeling of what it’s like to live away from home, which is a very important life skill.

What advice would you give to students who are thinking about pursuing this major?

I would tell students who are thinking about pursuing the study of history that it’s a much more versatile major than one might initially think. There’s a lot of things you can do with a history degree. The skills you’ll gain from learning about history, such as analysis and critical thinking, are really valuable for use in everyday life.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

If you get an opportunity to do a study abroad trip, take it! It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll get the chance to do things that you can’t do in the United States.