Using History as a Tool to Interact with the World by Elizabeth

Using History as a Tool to Interact with the World by Elizabeth - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I were to become a college professor, I would definitely teach a history class. This is because my personal interests in analyzing specific histories have shown me the benefits of learning from them. Through understanding history, one can understand a small part of other people’s experiences, cultures and ideologies, which I believe is a giant leap forward in understanding a person’s identity. As a history professor, I would be able to aid young people in understanding certain influential historical events, cultures, and ideologies of the world, which is a crucial step in interacting successfully with it.

I’ve always entertained the idea of becoming a history professor, and I think I fully realized this after completing my high school American History class during Junior year. Initially, I was impressed by my teacher’s teaching style, which forced students to make connections and conclusions for ourselves. It was only until after I completed the class that I realized how much I had truly learned. I had obtained the knowledge to help me shape my own cultural identity, and more importantly, a basic understanding of other identities and countries. By the end of the class, I felt that I had reached a deeper understanding of the world around me and the people in it.

However, I knew that my newfound knowledge wasn’t enough to keep me satisfied. If there was one thing that history class taught me, it is that there are multiple facets to history, and no one class can possibly teach them all. This sparked my interest in furthering my understanding of the world, which led me to where I am today and my interest in becoming a professor.

Instead of becoming a history teacher in high school, becoming a history professor in a college would better suit me because the historical subjects available to teach are far more specific than those in high school. I’ve observed that in college most subjects of history have been isolated from broader subjects. They may be separated from large-scale time periods into smaller-scale time periods; these subjects may be even more specific by focusing on certain prominent events, societies or ideologies which have made their mark on the world. This intrigues me because it appeals to my personal compulsion to pick apart a collection of subjects in order to analyze their individual traits instead of simply looking at the larger picture.

I believe that focusing on narrower subjects in history affords people a better understanding of the world and gives them more efficient tools to connect a person’s identity to past events, cultures or ideologies. In conclusion, I believe that everyone could benefit from understanding these small histories because they will ultimately gain a better understanding of the people related to these histories, and understanding the people who surround you is crucial to successfully interacting with them.