What is your history? Tell us your story.

 

I have never been particularly excited for the end of a semester, nor have I looked forward to finals — big exams that bring together all that you've learned aren't very enjoyable.

 

What if that exam was in the form of a paper? And what if that paper gave you the freedom to explore something new? In my history class, I have been given an amazing opportunity to choose: I could elaborate on some of the themes discussed in class or I could find something new in the vast array of human history and write about that. How often does a student get the freedom to find something they are passionate about in a field of study and write about it?  

 

My choice has been exciting. In the context of Big History, the course I am taking, I will be researching the influence of African nations, empires and ideals in what has become a Eurocentric world. Simply, I get to take a closer look at how human history has developed from the perspective of those whose history isn't told. From the moment I told my professor, Fred Paxton, about my idea, he has been extraordinarily supportive of my process and progress. As I share my findings and discuss my plan, he shares potential resources and helps me keep the paper grounded, connected to a few central themes.

 

Research projects are far more exciting when when your professor encourages you to test the limits of what you have learned, and maybe even reinvent these concepts. Using everything from documentaries to articles and books, I have a final project that I am excited for, a project that lets me use the skills I have developed to do something creative.