History Personal Statement Example 57

Since the first time my classes were divided by subject, history has been the class I looked forward to attending the most. My first history textbook was titled "Alabama History," and it was far from enough to satisfy my curiosity about the world. That curiosity only grew larger when I moved from the United States to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and, then, moved again to South Korea a few years later. These life events are what helped me to realise I want to study history and that history is more than the past of a single region, but an accumulation of connections that lead up to how world events impact us today.

As an American moving to Bahrain in the midst of an uprising for civil rights, I was inspired to understand those connections. The frustration of the majority with a royal family that supports the minority is a common theme throughout history and consistently, uprising is inspired by uprising. Over my high school years I have paid particular attention to the late Mongol and early Romanov periods of Russian history, including the tension between Tsar Paul I, his family, supporters of Alexander I and their similarities with other nations fighting disagreeable rule.

My decision to study AP World History this year was driven by my decade-old desire for a wider historical experience. As I have taken all regular available social studies classes at my school, I find that AP World History offers much-needed variety as well as a deep look at how societies connect and relate to one another. It has inspired me to try to understand history from the perspective of the people who made it, and remove present-day judgements when studying. Apart from my school studies, I have explored the architectural achievements of classical societies by watching the "Engineering an Empire" series, which I find to provide a helpful insight into the surprisingly advanced technological capabilities and successes of early civilisations.

This past school year I received an honourable mention for Best Delegate during my attendance at Harvard Model Congress in Hong Kong. To attend, I was required by my school to write two essays detailing the history of different U.N. issues, and then perform a speech about one from the point of view of a politician. I chose to do my speech about nuclear nonproliferation as a delegate from North Korea and examined the country's responses to previous security council resolutions to determine an attitude. At the conference, I was able to engage and enhance my research, compilation, and critical thinking capabilities.

Working with such a diverse group of students, despite discussing issues at the level of a single nation, was an important experience for me because it taught me the value of multinational perspectives. This is particularly relevant to history because a one-sided story is never enough. In addition to my academics, I have been deeply involved in my school's music program, playing the oboe, flute, and viola. I was also elected girls' varsity cross country team captain and have played softball for several years. Involvement in sports and music has improved my self-confidence and has given me strong discipline, leadership and teamwork skills.

I have a strong desire to teach history at the secondary school level in the United Kingdom and to prepare myself for the educational requirements experienced by British students, I hope to have the privilege of attending university in the UK. Having examined the differences in coursework between American and Scottish universities, I believe Scotland will provide me with a richer, broader, and better-rounded education. My first-hand knowledge and experience with a variety of cultures will be beneficial to historical discussions at the university level and beyond. My enthusiasm, dedication to learning, and personal experiences have taken me far past the little Alabama textbook and will continue to drive me to success.