E-mail this pageHistory Student Profiles
Christina Carroll
Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
"For most college students everyday is just another day, but as a history student at Plattsburgh each day has the potential to become an extraordinary day. Throughout my academic career, history has taught me that there really are so many options out there for people, and that, with the right skills, the possibilities are endless.
"For me history has been an area of study where I always felt engaged, learning about how and why people in the past created the world we live in today. To be honest, however, when I entered college I had a long list of other majors in my mind, because I just thought of history as a hobby or interest. But I soon realized that history is where my talents lay. My favorite class thus far has been “Gender & Race in the History of American Medicine,” which opened my eyes to how science relates to history.
"This year, I’ve decided to take my interest in medicine and history in a different direction by becoming a research and public policy intern with the Men’s Health Network. MHN is a non-profit in Washington D.C. whose mission is to educate the public on men’s health. Thus far I’ve been to many conferences, lectures, press briefings, and congressional meetings on health care reform and I’ve met the chairs and presidents of many influential groups like AARP, the American Medical Association, and American Hospital Association. I’ve also met several congress men and women from around the country. I even had the amazing opportunity to attend a meeting where President Bill Clinton gave a speech, and where I met the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
"The program at SUNY Plattsburgh provides students the resources and opportunity to achieve your professional goals. As an intern at MHN, I use the skills I learned as a history major every day, whether it’s doing research, writing, or speaking to the public. In short, history has opened up a world of opportunities for me to find and pursue what I’m truly passionate about."
Sierra Pepin
"I believe that anyone and everyone has the ability to make, as well as change history. My passion for better understanding that process led me to major in history and education at SUNY Plattsburgh. In high school I studied the 'who, what, when, and where' of history. At SUNY Plattsburgh I have focused more on the study of why something happened and how the event changed the past and shapes the present.
"I am aspiring to be a history teacher and it would be an honor for one of my future students to respect and look up to me as I do my past and present history professors. The history faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh possesses what seems like an endless abundance of historical, as well as everyday, knowledge.
"My history professors have been one of the most influential tools in my college career. They are always willing and eager to help their students, as well as those that are not even their students, in whatever means they can. The history department here at SUNY Plattsburgh is close knit family linked together by knowledge and passion for their topics of study; I am proud to have become part of this family of historians."
Eric Petersen
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"Picture a thirteen year old having a cut-throat debate about the significance of the Russian or American Revolutions with his middle-aged father and you're looking at most of my adolescence. "The desire to be the best debater possible (a hobby I've since drifted away from) and some positive reinforcement sparked my interest in history and the social sciences. It has become a way to understand and give meaning to the world. I've always wanted intelligent, constructive feedback on my thoughts, which turned out to be a scarce resource in high school; I've found a lot of it in Plattsburgh, though. It comes from the professors and students alike. The professors in the history department mirror my enthusiasm, give helpful guidance, and show they care about my experience, while students who enjoy learning and discussing aren't hard to come by. "I continue to be impressed with each professors overall knowledge; they have invaluable skills in their respective fields and still understand broader historical topics and theory. Classes have kept me interested and busy, and I've had opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities. I can't ask for much more from the program." |
Woody Groves
"As a child I shunned the typical coloring book. Silly pictures of rabbits and wizards were not of interest to me. Instead, I often found myself gazing over 17th century maps of the colonial boundaries in the Americas. I can still remember the birthday when I received the greatest present anyone has ever given to me: a history of the world through maps. Oh, the hours lost in that book, imagining the possibilities and wonders of past nations and peoples!
"But my formative schooling did its best to curb this enthusiasm. Learning was not to be fun! My sophomore history teacher's idea of teaching us Roman culture was watching the movie Gladiator. It is perhaps then no surprise then that I entered school with no interest in becoming a history major. I instead attempted to become a English major, until my first English class, which crushed my dreams faster than the French were crushed in 1940. It was perhaps this tragedy that led me to leave university life and live overseas for several years. I ranged from Lisbon to London, Kiev to Belgrade, exploring history on my own. My favorite moment was visiting the Serbian War History museum in Belgrade and the second was standing at the spot in Sarajevo where the first shots of the Great War were fired.
"But eventually, constant nagging from my mother convinced me to return to school. This time I tried a different place: SUNY Plattsburgh. I figured this was as far away from my native Alaska as possible and it was really close to Montreal. I really feel quite fortunate to have found this college. In complete honesty I never knew it existed before looking at the SUNY website, but it is the perfect school for me in many ways. The best part is the ability and willingness for professors to interact with students. All of my professors know me by name and I have had many spirited and interested discussions with them outside of class. So finally, after my initial demoralization at the hands of inept high school educators, I have found academic redemption at the history department of SUNY Plattsburgh."
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?
For more information about the History program at SUNY Plattsburgh, please contact
Wendy Gordon, Chair
History Department
Champlain Valley Hall
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: (518) 564-2213
Fax: (518) 564-2212
E-mail: gordonwm@plattsburgh.edu