I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I am currently a junior at NKU. My majors are in History and Anthropology, with minors in Religious Studies and Region Studies: Middle East and North Africa. My academic interest is on the history and cultural impact of religion in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa. I am currently working on an independent research project about the Amazigh people of northern Africa and their relationship with Abrahamic religions and colonialization thanks to the Department of History at NKU. 

My favorite course so far has been "History of Modern Africa" with Dr. Reynolds. I learned so much about a history which is not commonly or properly taught in high schools. Dr. Reynolds helped reshape my perspective of history with this class and how the modern world is still impacted by what happened in Africa from CE 1500-1800. My other favorite class is the "History of the Middle East and North Africa" with Dr. Vance-Eliany.

My major and minors are going to help me tremendously in the future. Since arriving at NKU, I have discovered that I love research, and I am planning to attend graduate school in the future to continue to research the history of my region of interest so that one day I can teach and impact others just as the professors in the Department of History have affected me. 

When it came to choosing a college major, I never really had to think too hard. I have always been a bit of a history buff and to have the chance to turn a passion into a college career was an opportunity I could hardly refuse. After three years here, I can truly say that it was a great decision. One of my most memorable courses through the department was "Let's Make Some History: The United Fruit Company." This course alone introduced me to independent research, as I contributed to our digital archive, and allowed me to present at my first conference (The Celebration of Student Research and Creativity). I did all this just in my second semester at NKU. The Department of History has been the ever-supportive backbone to my scholarly
career here. In the future, I hope to become a historian and a professor, a want that has only been further solidified by the wonderful faculty and staff of the department. History is in my blood at this point, and I intended to stay with it for a long time coming.

My name is Lorel Burgess and I am a creative writing major in the English department with a History minor. Taking a path through history with the focus has been a great way to explore many different classes, my favorite being "History's Mysteries" with Prof. Rebekah Richardson. In this class, we were able to explore niche parts of history through the lens of, sometimes, really creepy events and places, including Easter Island, the "real" Shakespeare, and Dyatlov's Pass. This class, and the others I have been lucky to take in the department, have helped in many aspects of my life, especially in my writing. Many of my story, novel, and script ideas have stemmed from topics discussed in history classes. They have been, and continue to be, an incredible source of inspiration.