BA in History
Concentrations
Kyle Roll, 2014
How did you decide on the history major?
I first fell in love with history because of my grandfather. He grew up in New York City during The Great Depression and at the age of 16 joined the army to serve his country in World War II. Like many young boys I was fascinated with playing war and naturally became interested in hearing about his experiences. His stories and sacrifices instilled in me an appreciation of the past that has stuck with me throughout my life. Despite my love for the subject, initially I didn’t think that someone should major in history unless they wanted to be a teacher or go to law school. I thought of history as a hobby rather than a viable career option. After taking several history classes as electives with some great professors, I quickly realized that studying history was dramatically improving my ability to write clearly and think critically, both valuable skills to potential employers. If your goal is to graduate college and secure a good job then majoring in history at George Mason University is a great idea. According to a recent statistic, history majors at George Mason University rank number one nationally for starting and mid-career salaries.
Are you minoring or double majoring in anything else? If so, how do the two work together – or separately?
I have a minor in international and comparative politics. History and politics are closely related and I find that my background in history allows me to understand politics on a much deeper level.
What have you learned in a history class that really surprised you/changed your perspective?
In History 300 with Dr. T Mills Kelly I learned that the last American Civil War widow died in 2004. This is nearly 140 years after the end of the war. In 1927 Alberta Martin then 21, married an 81 year old veteran of The Confederate Army. While this may seem strange today, it was common for young women to marry much older civil war veterans because they had large pensions. For most of history, people saw marriage as an opportunity to improve their status and rarely married for love.
Tell us about your dream occupation…
I want to be a United States Congressman. As a student of history, I realize that many of the people who have shaped history are people who have held political offices. I’m proud to be an American and would love to leave my own imprint on history and help make our country an even better place to live.
Have you had any internships? Or interesting jobs or volunteer experience? Tell us about it/them.
After my freshman year at George Mason, I got my first professional experience as an assistant campaign manager on a New Jersey State Senate Campaign. Later in college I had the privilege of working as an intern on Capitol Hill for my representative, Congressman Scott Garrett. I worked closely with his legislative team helping research a wide variety of topics ranging from the security dilemma between Taiwan and China to domestic tobacco regulations. The biggest advantage of going to school at George Mason University is its close proximity to Washington D.C. Whereas most students seeking internships in government move to Washington to intern for the summer, students at George Mason are able to intern year round and forge relationships that can lead to great job opportunities after college.
Any accomplishments you’re proud of? Opportunities you’ve taken advantage of? Brag a little!
The smartest decision that I ever made in college was choosing to study abroad. I was able to spend two full semesters of my undergraduate career enjoying delicious wine and food while studying history, art, language, and politics in Florence, Italy. I’m currently a visiting researcher at L'Istituto Storico della Resistenza where I am writing a research paper on the Italian resistance movement in Florence during World War II. I also am working as a student teacher, helping teach 4th grade Italian students the English language. I recently was awarded the 2014 Page Nelson Award, an honor given to an outstanding history major at George Mason. Next year I will be pursuing a master’s degree in Economic History at The London School of Economics.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.
I’m a thrill seeker. One of my favorite things to do is go for rides on my motorcycle. I also recently flew a single propeller airplane for the first time. This summer I plan on working toward earning my pilot’s license.