How did you decide on the history major?
When I was in high school I played with the idea of getting a history major, but I thought that maybe my love for history was more of a hobby, not a potential professional career path. So, I settled on criminology. However, the more I looked into criminology, the less I was sold on it. History, on the other hand, seemed very attractive to me. I had fallen in love with the subject ever since I was a kid. My parents fostered this love of history by taking me on frequent trips to the East Coast, specifically Washington, D.C. I grew up with an even stronger love for colonial America. So, once I realized I wanted to study on the East Coast and not stay in California, I figured I would make my passion and hobby my future career.
Are you minoring or double majoring in anything else? If so, how do the two work together – or separately?
I am minoring in anthropology. Anthropology and history go hand in hand. To understand people, to understand a culture, to understand almost anything, history serves as the ultimate explanation in trying to figure out cultural changes and why they have occurred within populations. One thing that Dr. Christopher Morris told me when I was taking his Global Africa class was that "anthropologists are wannabe historians." It is certainly a quote that has stuck with me and still makes me laugh. It just further illustrates the point that anthropology and history are so interconnected that they provide a level of depth about a population you're studying.
What have you learned in a history class that really surprised you/changed your perspective?
When I took courses that were about Latin America, I wasn't expecting much. It seemed interesting, but I was at George Mason University for American history. However, the history classes that I took with Dr. Joan Bristol and Dr. Matthew Karush really made me appreciate the history of Latin America. Furthermore, I took an art history class with Dr. Jeanette Nicewinter in which we looked at art from throughout Latin America. It was these classes and, more importantly, these professors that taught me that I enjoyed Latin American history a ton and it was an exciting new subject to learn about. So I ended up altering my major to have a focus on Latin America. It's a change that I still can't believe since I was a die-hard American history fan ever since I was a kid.
Tell us about your dream occupation…
My dream occupation would be working for the Smithsonian. It seems almost surreal to imagine myself working in the National Museum of the American Indian or even the National Museum of American History. Being an archivist, a museum curator or even an archaeologist sounds amazing. I wouldn't mind going out into the field or even going to archives abroad to do my own research.
Have you had any internships? Or interesting jobs or volunteer experience? Tell us about it/them.
I haven't had any internships yet, but as of writing this, I'm planning to do some work for an organization this summer. The most interesting volunteer experience I had was when I was significantly younger, and I volunteered for Ro Khanna's congressional campaign. At the time of writing this, he is currently a U.S. Representative and represents California's 17th Congressional District. It was very interesting to see how a grassroots campaign operated when I was young. I did things such as phone banking, canvassing, and more. It certainly made me respect those who work on campaigns as they put in more hours than one might think!
Any accomplishments you’re proud of? Opportunities you’ve taken advantage of? Brag a little!
One accomplishment I'm proud of is winning the Charles and Polly Webber award in 2021! In high school, my GPA rose quite high, but it started off very low and once I graduated, I had set a goal for myself that I would maintain a high GPA all throughout college. Thankfully, this award is proof of that!
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.
When I was in middle and high school, I had a very strong obsession with Christmas music. Somehow, I would start singing carols maybe a month or more before December and I made sure everyone at school knew about it. No one was ever safe from hearing me sing something related to Christmas. It was certainly a defining mannerism of mine that I find funny and still kind of give into...sometimes. People might also be surprised to know that I was a theater kid almost every year from 3rd grade all the way to 12th grade. Melodramas, musicals, and more!