This is the essay that I wrote for the Gallagher Scholarship here at Tech. I know it's nerdy, but every word of it is true (including the fact that I annotate history books that I read for fun...). I like this essay; I'm really really proud of it. I think it may be rewritten just a little for some grad. application essays. Some of the word choice is suspect, but it won me the scholarship, so I'm happy.
"My high school history teachers tried to ingrain in all of their students the often-mentioned George Santayana quote: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Although this easily describes why every student should have a general knowledge of world and U.S. history, it does not adequately describe why I have chosen history as my academic focus and eventual career. History has always been my favorite subject; my friends and relatives commonly tease me about reading and annotating history books for fun. Studying history allows me to understand the events of the past and how they affect the present, yet it goes even further than that. The study of history allows me to examine how people work; for example, by studying the personalities involved in writing and ratifying the Declaration of Independence, I can see how people react to economic and political pressures and extend that to the current push for independence in Kosovo. Also, history, more so than other subjects, forces me to think critically. It is a very rewarding experience to sift through sources, closely examining the language of the document and its impact on my research. Yet, despite the seeming finality of finishing a paper, I love that any historical study is never really complete. There is always an element of any topic that has not been completely uncovered. I can always find something in my subject that I would like to explore further. Because of this I am certain that I will never become bored in historical research and presentation. For this reason, I chose to major in history, knowing that the discipline will challenge me to think and innovate throughout my career.
I have definite plans for using my history major. Once I graduate from Virginia Tech, I plan to continue to graduate school to study Public History. I am particularly interested in incorporating technology into history museums to help educate more people more efficiently. My topics course, Virginia Indians with Dr. Crandall Shifflett, allowed me to see just how important computer technology is to teaching history. In that class, we incorporated our research on an Indian town in Virginia into a class-wide Google Earth file which may be added to Virtual Jamestown in the future. I realized that history education must incorporate technology in order to maintain interest in the future. I hope to dedicate my career to finding new ways, including touch-screen technology and digital media, to share my historical knowledge with people of all ages. A career in public history will allow me to combine my constant curiosity about all things history with my desire to help the community, for even though George Santayana’s quote is not the only reason I decided to dedicate my career to history; his sentiment is the main reason why I want to pursue a public history career. I truly believe that making sure that the community has a clear understanding of their history is one of the best ways for me to use my passion to effect society."
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