Building Safe Drivers

Not considered in the application – just for survey purposes

What are you thinking about doing after high school? ( 2- 3 sentences about your choice and why) *

After high school, I hope to attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree in history philosophy, or religious studies. Then, perhaps would like to earn whichever level of higher degree required so that I can become a professor or museum curator. 

What do you want to do as a career? ( 2- 3 sentences about your choice and why) *

I would like to continue studying and researching history and religion professionally either as a professor or curator. I enjoy teaching others about things I am passionate about, and think that would be conducive to both of the vocations. Additionally, I think it would be fulfilling to work in a museum and see and teach others how history can come alive through artifacts and exhibits. 

Considered in the application

Why do you want to participate in the Bloomberg Arts Internship? Please answer in two or three sentences. *

I think it is very important to remember arts when one wants to go into a career involving history, as this aspect of culture is extremely influential. Additionally, seeing how museums work, and exploring all that Philadelphia has to offer in terms of art and culture is an  aspect of the Bloomberg Arts Internship in which I am particularly interested.

National History Day changed me for the better in a considerable way. First, it is probably important to explain NHD. NHD, or National History Day, is a national competition in which students pick a topic, and create a project relating to the overarching theme, which changes annually. There are two divisions (junior and senior) and five types of projects (website, paper, documentary, exhibit, and play) which students complete either as a group or individually. Students compete at the regional, state, and national levels. I completed a junior group documentary when I was in eighth grade at Rosa International Middle School, and ultimately with a collaborative effort won second place in the nation for our documentary and annotated bibliography.  

The theme for the year I competed was “Taking a Stand in History,” and my group members and I chose to focus on Josiah DuBois, a whistleblower and U.S. treasury agent during World War II. Despite major pushback from government officials (including President Roosevelt himself), DuBois wrote a report exposing the atrocities happening in Europe at that time, as well the complacency of our government about the mistreatment. At the risk of his own job and personal safety, DuBois threatened the release of his report, which resulted in the creation of the War Refugee Board and saved upwards of 300,000 lives from the Nazi Regime.

While I could write about DuBois for pages and pages (and I have), I would like to use my limited words to speak to the positive impact this project has had on me until now, and to the lasting impact I am sure it will have on the rest of my life. 

Before NHD I felt challenged and shy when talking to other people in a formal setting. After I completed this project, however, I gained skills in presenting for large groups and reaching out to others such as historians, authors, government officials, and even Josiah DuBois’s son, Robert. While our main project consisted of a documentary and annotated bibliography there was also a 10-minute question and answer period. Here, we spoke about our topic, and answered questions regarding our research and the historical period in general. At first, I stumbled answering questions and struggled to articulate my ideas. However, with practice, I noticed a vast improvement of these skills that continues to this day. After the competition was over we also had the opportunity to speak before the New Jersey Historical Commission, our local Board of Education, and were the keynote presenters at a Holocaust commemoration in Connecticut, honoring Josiah DuBois for his heroic work.

NHD has contributed greatly to the person I am today, and continues to shape my life even now. I, still four years later, volunteer at my middle school, going back to help several times a week and tutor the students now completing their projects. National History Day helped me to develop skills in talking to people, both in large groups and in a more intimate one-on-one setting, and has provided me with an excellent basis of skills for my future studies and professional opportunities. 

I started reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan when I was seven years old, with my dad. He read to me before bed, every night, and it was his suggestion to start reading this series. We got about 25 pages into the first book before I was too frightened of the seemingly “real” mythological monsters to continue our reading, and we promptly put the book away.

Fast forward to when I was ten years old, and I had picked up the first Percy Jackson book again. In this period of time, my dad had died, and I had grown what felt like much more than three years. I decided that I was going to try again to read the novel I had shunned a few years earlier. I opened up the book and found myself intrigued from the very first line. I was hooked. I can honestly report that since then, I have read and re-read the whole series a dozen times. These books hold such importance in my life for several reasons, still a significant way to remember my dad, who was intrigued with all things history, and as I later learned, himself minored in Greek studies while in college.

The ninth book in the Percy Jackson series, The House of Hades, holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. First of all, it was at the end of this book that I decided I wanted to study, preserve, and educate about history for the rest of my life. As a result of these books, I have now expanded my knowledge and read a number of complex books about Greek mythology and culture, eventually branching out to learn about Egyptian mythology, then Norse. I have read about religions and cultures all over the world. Looking past the fictional stories of Percy and his friends, there were ancient myths that captured my attention and curiosity. I hope to make these stories, and the people behind them, my life’s work. 

Moreover, these books helped to validate a part of myself that I did not discover until later in my high school years. One of my favorite literary characters, Nico, is forced to come out as gay. Despite coming from a background that is less than accepting of him, Nico is met with support from his friends in the novel. This sentiment of tolerance and open-mindedness is an extremely important message to send to impressionable kids reading these books, one which became increasingly impactful to me on a personal level when I started questioning my own sexuality and sharing it with my friends and family. The portrayal of a strong, and well-liked hero, who also happened to be gay, helped me feel comfortable with myself. I take great comfort in knowing that the Percy Jackson books bring the idea of acceptance to many children and teens who may not be getting it at home, with peers, or in their communities.

These books, and especially The House of Hades, have stimulated and supported me throughout the years, not only have they been enormously meaningful to me in connecting with my dad, discovering my love of history, and most importantly learning to love and appreciate myself as I am.