Congratulations to 18 graduates of Spring 2023 that have been awarded Departmental Distinction in the History Major! Departmental Distinction recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the History major, and is an option for students who are not pursuing Honors in the Major. Students apply for Departmental Distinction at the end of the term in which they graduate, and use the culmination of their experience as a History Major in the application process.
Describing what the History major has meant to them, Grace Quast said:
“Being a history major has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has consistently challenged me, educated me, and made me a more empathetic and well-rounded citizen. As history majors, we spend our time in the past, but not only because the past is a story we want to learn, although it is – at times beautiful, at times tragic, at times seemingly impossible. Getting to immerse myself in the world’s longest running (true!) story has been enriching and fulfilling. In the last four years while I have been part of the history department, though, what has taken precedent for what the history major means to me is the fact that it has been increasingly important to understand why things are happening in our world today.”
Another student, JP Rotatori, had this to say:
“I think that the greatest thing that the history department has afforded me is the opportunity to collaborate with my peers and learn perspectives that are different from my own. I am especially appreciative of the instructors that I had along the way who would encourage these conversations. I can definitively say that through my experience as history major I have become a more reflective and understanding individual. I am extremely grateful for all of the help and guidance that I received in the department; I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”
In their applications, students expressed various plans and ambitions for post-graduation life. One student expressed their desire to become a lawyer, another student will be joining the Army as an intelligence officer, and others have plans of attending graduate school for subjects such as Urban Planning and Library and Information Science. Congratulations to all of these students on their academic success, and the beginning of their next chapter!
Spring 2023 Recipients of Departmental Distinction in the History Major
- Nicholas Censoprano
- Chun Kai Cheung
- Dylan DeGroot
- Grace Dillon
- Maria Fichtinger
- Laura Elizabeth Klatt
- Erin Mahoney
- Jay McLean
- Grace Quast
- Christopher Repak
- Margaret Riordan
- Hernan Rodriguez Jr
- JP Rotatori
- Andrew Santamarina
- Summer Smith
- Hanlin Tao
- Vincent Watring
- Chloe Westberg