I was homeschooled for much of my childhood because the traditional classrooms I attended often felt unengaging and repetitive. When I began homeschooling and taking classes at the Village Home Educational Resource Center, I discovered that learning could be fun, interactive, and meaningful—not just something to endure. That experience transformed how I viewed education, and it’s why I want to share the same excitement for learning with others, especially in subjects like history and political science, which too often get presented as dry or boring.

I see history as an interconnected tapestry of stories rather than a single, inevitable narrative. The histories of nations outside of Western Europe and North America, for example, are often overlooked, yet they are crucial for understanding the world we live in today. Too often, schools recycle the same limited material year after year, leaving students with only a boring and superficial understanding of the past. I change that by bringing to life the interwoven history that belongs to all of us, and by giving students the tools to think critically, see the full scope of history, and connect and engage with the past and into the present in meaningful ways. 

I aim to engage students in history not by having them memorize lists of dates and names, but by helping them understand the connections between events and why they matter today. In many schools, topics like the lead-up to the Civil War are taught superficially, without exploring why the conflict erupted when it did, or how the First World War set the stage for the Second. I want students to go beyond knowing that events happened to asking, “Why did this happen?”—because from that curiosity comes deeper engagement with both the historical material and the present world around them.

In public school, I struggled because I didn’t receive the focused attention I needed to thrive. Homeschooling and smaller, discussion-based classes allowed me to flourish, and I realized how much difference the right approach to teaching can make. I know firsthand how important it is to ignite passion in a subject like history if students are to fully understand it and carry that knowledge into the world. My goal is to help inspire that same curiosity and enthusiasm in others who may not have access to the resources and learning environments that helped me.