History by Giovanni

History by Giovanni - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

At a very young age I developed a passion for history. Soon my interest of developing knowledge of history became the subject in which I excelled the most. Being able to see the relationship between the events that previously happened and how they have shaped our present life today makes me curious to learn more. History is where I am the most attentive. As I read articles and books about history I feel a certain connection with the reading, knowing it has influenced other events and helped shaped where we are today. I truly enjoy myself whenever I sit down to read textbooks and learn new facts related to history, no matter what kind of distractions are happening around me.
During the third grade, my class took a field trip to go to a local museum to learn in depth about the Maya civilization and their history using artwork as a visual aid. I was mesmerized by their rich history. After the field trip, my mind wanted to learn more. Soon I began begging my mother to take me to the library to increase my knowledge of the Mayas. Being exposed to the library, I was able to read book after book of information. When I read a book I was able to mentally picture the events happening. As time progressed, so did my desire to increase my knowledge of history. My interest evolved from the Mayas to European and United States history.
Even though I did well in other subjects, history was the one where I found the most enjoyment. Inside the history classroom when the teacher asked a question, only a few hands would be raised in a class of 28. Of those few hands, mine was always among them. I became very interested in understanding how technology from a hundred years ago has been able to contribute in helping shape the present. My personal favorite part of history to learn about is World War ll. During my 11th grade year of high school, I had an engaging teacher named Mr. Castro. During my time in Mr. Castro’s world history class, we would break down how technology had influenced the outcome of the war from the development of radar to the construction and detonation of atomic bombs. I enjoyed my world history class so much that I completed reading my 1000 page textbook two months before the class was over.
Reading history books has taught me to memorize and understand information. I enjoy history as I am able to see the impact past events and technology have had on influencing our lives today. Being able to make connections with the reading and my life today makes history more alive to me. My love for history has truly sparked my curiosity and interest in technology and education.