Harrison Dillard

During my Senior year of high school, I was unsure which college I wanted to go to. One day, my English teacher, who I think highly of, told me about her time at the University of Mississippi. Her statements made me look into UM. I didn't realize it was so close to my hometown and had several great academic programs. So, I applied and was accepted into the Provost Scholar program.

I always knew I wanted to major in History. It was my favorite subject in high school, and I was the best at it. French, however, didn't cross my mind. It was only when I took both French 111 and 211. I loved the classes and the instructors, and they encouraged me to continue learning French, so I did.

History is a collection of stories and experiences across time. You can find the strangest figures to have ever lived. You can reexamine popular figures in ways that challenge the historical consensus. Basically, you can discover and take away a lot from history. The most important thing for someone interested in the field is reading. In order to understand the events and figures, you're going to need context. This context comes in the form of reading. This can be historical documents, memoirs, or books. Without reading you can't get a complete understanding.

For me, it is hard to put into words. There is a unique atmosphere in the department. Since it isn't the largest department, you encounter a lot of the same people in different classes. Having friends in the classes makes the experience even more enjoyable. Not to mention, there are a lot of events where you can talk to the professors and get to know them. If I am not busy with classes, I typically hang out in the third-floor common area of Bishop Hall and talk to a bunch of different people. The History department is really fun and inclusive.

It's hard to pick a specific history class because they're different. Dr. Colby's Civil War Era class gave me a deeper understanding of certain aspects of the civil war and the jobs of historians. I learned a lot about Reconstruction and how underfunded it was. We also got to transcribe historical documents and reenact the Kentucky secession crisis. For Dr. Cromwell's History of the Caribbean, I learned how culturally diverse the Caribbean is. I also saw how chaotic and anarchic the early Caribbean was with accounts of Hurricanes, Pirates, and Slavery. For Dr. Kagan Guthrie's History of Southern Africa, I learned how devastating racism was in the region and how much of it stripped Africans of any power. Additionally, I learned how all of it still affects those in Southern Africa to this day.

I will probably go to law school to become a lawyer, though my time in the department is making me consider becoming a historian.

There are a lot of places I'd like to go to. I'd like to go to France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Spain for Europe. South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Finally, Cuba, Panama, and Brazil for Latin America. There is so much history I want to see in the world.