John Gerrity
Studying history at Monmouth is far different from the history I was taught as a youth. I came from a large suburban high school where history was just memorizing dates and information about events.

At Monmouth, it is much more than that. I have learned to analyze, question, and look at historical situations from different angles. I am grateful that I have developed this ability and it will serve me well in the future.

I plan to go to law school after graduation and ultimately pursue a career in law or politics. Another aspect of the History Department that I have enjoyed is being able to take classes about the History of Latin America and Mexico. It was beneficial to me because I also study Spanish. In combining my studies of Spanish and History, I had not only a knowledge of the language, but Spanish and Latin American history and culture. This gave me an advantage when I studied abroad in Costa Rica. I even found myself teaching some of my American classmates about the history of Costa Rica and the surrounding regions!

I also enjoy the fact that the faculty have such a great passion for history. This, combined with their accessibility and genuine care for the students, has made my experience at Monmouth College valuable.
 

Jennifer Drendel
My name is Jennifer Drendel and I am a junior from Hampshire, Illinois. After graduating, I plan on teaching middle school history.

The Monmouth history program has allowed me to further my love of history. One of my friends once told me that she did not know how I could be a history major memorizing names and dates all the time. I told her that is not what history is, and she asked me what I did in my classes then. The Monmouth College history department encourages its students to interpret and reflect on history not to regurgitate facts. The faculty plays a huge role in this, and they could be described as knowledgeable and friendly. Students can expect to be interacting with the professor during classes and not just sitting through a lecture.

I feel that Monmouth College was the right choice. The classes here have challenged me and prepared me for my career. I have also be given chances to extended my interest in history beyond the classroom through clubs such as Phi Alpha Theta, and guest lecturers.

John Hughes
I am John Hughes, a senior history major at Monmouth College, and I have no interest in becoming a teacher or historian! Although I really love history I never wanted to be a teacher. I did not let this stop me from choosing history because ever since middle school I really enjoyed history.

When I came to Monmouth I wanted a major that fascinated me and I got really lucky with choosing history at Monmouth. In no way has attending Monmouth or being a history major impeded my life long goal of becoming a chef! In fact just the opposite.

Coming here has helped me learn how to write, read, analyze, and be a better person. And now that my time at Monmouth is coming to a close I look forward to the next year and half of attending culinary school in Chicago, where I can pursue my true passion: cooking.

It may seem counterproductive but actually the benefits of getting a degree before culinary school are great. I get more financial assistance there; I don’t have to take as many classes because I already have the credits that will transfer over to cooking school (which also saves me money); and I am a more organized, broadly educated, and well-spoken person.

I am a history major because I love history and even though I did not want to teach I did not let that stop me. My history major has helped me along on the path that I truly want to follow for myself.
 

Seth Leitner
My name is Seth Leitner and I am a senior from Edelstein, Illinois. I am a Classics and History double major. After I complete my final year at Monmouth College, I plan on going to graduate school.

The funny story is that during my freshman year, I was a Computer Science Major. After spending a semester in that department, I wised up and moved into the History Department!

Many people ask me, "What can you do with a History degree?" Often times, I sat there and wondered, "What do I want to do besides teach?" As much as I want to teach, there was still uncertainty as to what I really wanted to teach, or even what I found interesting.

Until one day, (it might have been a Thursday of my sophomore year—spring semester) as I was sitting in Dr. Urban’s Western Civilization I course, it finally hit me, like a ton of bricks. We were discussing ancient archaeology and how important it was in telling the whole story of the ancient Greek and Roman (among others) civilizations.

After class, I approached Dr. Urban and discussed how I could become an archaeologist. Dr. Urban introduced me to Dr. Sienkewicz in the Classics department, and, from that moment on, I finally figured it out. I finally figured out what I wanted to do. Except that I actually needed to go excavate.

Well, this past summer, I spent a month in Romania excavating an ancient Roman city called Porolissium (Northwest Romania). It was the best time of my life! Actually being able to excavate and look at coins or pottery from the Roman era was something that I’ll never forget. It was one thing to learn about these subjects in a classroom setting, but to actually see and touch these items was a completely different experience.

As I look back on my years at Monmouth College, the faculty have been helpful in pushing me to do my best, and mostly, to help me find what I wanted to do. I often find myself wandering down into the basement of Wallace Academic hall just to chat with my professors and to see what projects they are working on or to simply talk. I have learned a lot in four years, and I’ll take everything I’ve learned at Monmouth and apply it to whatever obstacle that is in my way at grad school (even if I have to dig down to find it).

Christopher Maurer
Monmouth College is well known for producing teachers. But I came to Monmouth for a bachelors in History, not for the Education/History degree. Now you might wonder: Chris, what can one do with just a history degree? There are lots of things one can do: Para-legal, law, politics, museum/archival studies, work for a historical society, and jobs with a nature reserve or park--just to name a few. Also, businesses love to hire History majors for their skills in researching and data analysis.

I remember when I made my final decision to attend Monmouth College as a History major. I had two choices: Monmouth College and a larger state university. It was a prospective day at the university, and the professor for my prospective group said, "You know, we have students on campus here who have received 37 on their ACTs." He was completely serious; no sign of a joke.

37? 37!? How do you get a 37 on the ACT when the highest grade is a 36? Extra credit? No way, man! I just felt like the university professor in my prospective group was feeding me a bunch of B.S. (and that doesn't stand for Bachelor of Sciences by the way) to get me to come to that particular university. I thought, if I was fed that nonsense, then what other lies would they throw at me?

So, I chose Monmouth College, and I made the right choice. I've had a blast learning here, and the History Department is really good. All of the professors are published authors and there are a good variety of History classes from which to choose. In addition, the small campus and class sizes at Monmouth makes personal interaction with professors and students easier.

Amanda Bloomer
My name is Amanda Bloomer and I am from Madrid, Iowa. I am a senior, double majoring in English and History. I applied to Monmouth College fully intending to major in History Secondary Education.

I ended up choosing the path of an English major, but held on to a History minor because of my love for the subject. By the end of my sophomore year at Monmouth College, I had dropped the Education program and added a History major.

My English and History classes complement each other well, and I believe that the combination of the two enables me to have a more comprehensive understanding of both. I am planning on a career in English studies (which hopefully includes graduate school), and I don’t see my History education as being independent of that end. Literature does not exist in a vacuum. I believe that everything needs context, and the more the better. I am also a big proponent of knowing for the sake of knowing--or for the sake of winning Trivial Pursuit!

I have continually found my History classes at Monmouth College to be challenging as well as fun, and the professors knowledgeable and dynamic in their teaching.

Donald Trinite
I am a junior at Monmouth College from Des Plaines, Illinois. I am a History and Classics major. I am a big history lover and the History department at Monmouth has done so much to further my knowledge and love for history.

I am also enrolled in the teacher education program with hopes to be a high school teacher after Monmouth. Some of the classes I have taken include the Western Civilizations series as well as a few courses on American history and the history of Ancient Greece.

This department has a great faculty that really explains the material well and really brings history to life. Being a history major at Monmouth I have really learned to appreciate history more and I never lose interest in any of my history classes.

Drew Johnson
I am from North Henderson, Illinois, a small rural town which is about twenty-five minutes northeast of Monmouth, Illinois. I graduated from Alexis United High School in 2005.

I am currently a sophomore at Monmouth College and I am majoring in History and Secondary Education. I am also a pitcher for the Monmouth College Baseball team. Almost all of my history classes are located in Wallace Hall, which is also where most of my Education classes are located, so I spend a lot of time in Wallace Hall!

I really have liked the way that my professors teach history. They make their lectures very interesting, which can be hard for some history teachers, and they keep their students involved.

My favorite classes so far have been the twentieth century U.S. survey course (HIST 112) and the modern period of the Western Civ survey (HIST 103).

After college I am planning on teaching history at the secondary level somewhere around this area. I would also like to coach baseball and/or football at the school where I teach.

Daniel Walker
My experience in the history department of Monmouth College has been quite unique. As a transfer student, I was welcomed eagerly by the faculty.

Within the first semester I was engaged in challenging coursework which would eventually amount to another experience that I may not have had if I was at a larger school.

During the second semester of my sophomore year I submitted a paper to a conference in Indiana and was able to represent Monmouth College.

The history department faculty at MC is both helpful and demanding. My fellow students are also worthy of mention. They help to make classes exciting and introduce new points of view regularly.

After I graduate from Monmouth College, I plan to continue my education at the post-graduate level. I will also be certified to teach grades 6 to 12.