American Studies Personal Statement Essay

What in your previous personal/professional/academic experiences has prepared you to pursue a graduate degree in American Studies?

My academic experience has prepared me the most for a graduate degree in American Studies. This past year I wrote my senior thesis. Writing a thesis has improved my researching, writing, and argumentation skills. Senior thesis also helped with my ability to look into deeper themes in American history. For example, my senior thesis argued that the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia was a reflection of how independent America stuck to the traditions of Europe. For the argument, I researched how the medical procedures performed by American doctors were based on those done in Europe. Without the research done for thesis, I would not

As a professor, I do not want to teach solely with lecture. I instead want to bring history alive for my students. As a professor, I want to design a class that incorporates local history into the lessons. I want to present the history that is in our backyards and has contributed to the events that have made American history distinctive among the rest of the world. I hope with this type of class, students will be become more interested in the subject and want to help with the preservation of historical sites. I have this desire due to my academic experience. In my experiences, learning about events such as the Revolution were more fascinating when I visited historical sites. For example when I was in high school, I visited the Red Bank Battlefield. This battle took place during the Revolution and prevented the British from using the Delaware River to transport supplies. While visiting, I learned a vast amount of information that could not be learned from a textbook. It also sparked my interest in studying and learning everything I could about the Revolution. By creating a class like this, I hope to inspire my students like I