Senior Mia Powell reflects on choosing history and English literature after first pursuing a pre-law path. Students in Arts & Sciences are invited to consider their own paths at the fall Major-Minor Fair on Oct. 13.
From my earliest stages of language acquisition, I longed to be someone who told stories. Even writing this article brings the thrill of narrative, of recapitulation, and of the potential for readership and audience. As someone of this disposition, I began college searching for the field of study that would best help me harness my passion for storytelling in a way that was both employable and meaningful to myself and others. During my sophomore year, I settled on majoring in history with a second major in English literature.
When reflecting on the trajectory that brought me to declare these majors, my initial inclination is to say it was more convoluted than the average WashU student’s. But the more I’ve spoken to others about how and why they chose their major, I realize it is rare to find a student with a clear-cut journey free of doubt. My story is no different.
of Oxford (Courtesy of Powell)
When I entered my first year at WashU, I considered myself staunchly pre-law, taking courses in economics and political science. Those courses were great, but I was confused by why I lacked the same passion in them that I found in other, unexpected classes — courses I had only enrolled in to satisfy graduation requirements. After spending semesters learning from Peter Kastor and Steve Hindle in the Department of History, as well as Beth Windle and Jessica Rosenfeld in the Department of English, I was fascinated by each scholar’s engaging and novel approach to their discipline. I began to rethink the social science path and allowed myself to develop a true passion for the humanities.
My plans began to change after the summer following my first year, when I worked two very different internships, one in criminal defense and the other in historical research. Experiencing these fields side by side, I realized that law didn’t suit my truest passions or mesh with my personality. Instead, I found myself enthralled with paleography and historical research. This realization inspired me to seek new opportunities at WashU, to design and complete my own research while preparing for graduate study in history.
Getting involved with undergraduate opportunities within the departments was central to my decision to fully commit to these fields of study. Through the Living History Scholars program, I designed and wrote my own historical research on Elizabeth Needham, an 18th-century brothel keeper who shaped debates on criminality, sexuality, and femininity. I later spent a year at Keble College, University of Oxford, where I traveled to archives across England to study material culture and women’s travel writing in the 18th century — work that earned me an Academic Year Undergraduate Research Award, and I will later use in my senior honors thesis.
My ability to confidently choose history as my major was rooted in my understanding of the characteristics and possibilities of my degree. I began to understand the discipline of history, independent of what broader culture suggested a historian’s career should look like, when I pushed myself to write and conduct research. Hands-on engagement beyond the syllabus helped me grasp the immense humanity and empathy involved in researching and writing history. While the methods are more complex and the standards more rigorous than the colloquial idea of storytelling, I discovered historical scholarship was a place where I could combine academic discipline and archival investigation with my passion for preserving and sharing the stories of others — even those who lived centuries before us.
At the annual Major-Minor Fair, students are invited to talk to faculty members and get more information on many majors and minors at one time and in one place. This year's fair will take place Monday, Oct. 13.
More from the ‘How I chose my major’ series:
- Leandrea Clay selected African and African American studies but once envisioned a career in science.
- Gaby Mendoza explored different subjects and career paths to find her perfect fit.
- Lorenzo Prila followed his instincts and overcame his fear of the unknown on his academic journey.
- Gracie Hime discovered a passion for philosophy-neuroscience-psychology and political science.
