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JheDienne Adams, 2018 recipient of the Dr. William H. Masterson Memorial Scholarship for excellent performance in history and humanities courses, on why she chose to major in history.
This reeks of history-nerd-devotion, but one of the most stunning things about history is that what has happened never changes, but there is always another perspective to uncover. Originally the bourgeoisie were only considered worth studying–and for many reasons, they were the only subject historians were capable of studying–but in the past several decades there have been significant strides made to seek out those “common” voices, as it is understood that those voices often contribute much more to the broader understanding of the past. This desire to mine the recorded past–and to understand what the presence and absence of information communicate–incited and continues to nurture my passion for the study of history.
My experience in the History Department has been wonderful so far. I have had the opportunity to work with several academics who specialize in varied arenas within the field. This is an invaluable opportunity that I do not take lightly. It is only my third semester at UTC, but I have already been made part of the history community, and have reaped the benefits from this association in countless ways. Receiving the Dr. William H. Masterson Memorial Scholarship not only blessed me financially, but it signifies recognition of my hard work and efforts to be a positive member of, and to make valuable contributions to, the History Department.
