Was history always something you were interested in? How did you become interested in it?

My dad taught history for a year out of college even though he later became a minister. I grew up in a household where we were always watching political shows, where we had election parties when I was as young as ten years old. I was always very aware, from when I was around eight, of politics, and often people who are interested in politics are interested in history. I grew up in a family where current events and historical things were a big deal.

What was so great about your beloved college (University of Michigan)?

From the time I was seven or eight years old, I grew up going to sporting events like Michigan football games. So I grew up and was a big Michigan football fan. And then, I swear, when I was nine or ten there was a poll that rated colleges, and my mom went to Cornell, and Michigan was rated ahead of Cornell! I knew Cornell was a good school from when I was six or seven, and I was like, Michigan is a good school? Oh! Well, this changes everything. It’s a good school, its an hour away, and it has good sports teams? Done! 

I did do better in high school, with the structure, so when I went to college and there was no structure and I was like, Wait. What? I majored in political sciences, but I also took a lot of history and English -- most of the courses I took were humanities. 

Does your knowledge of history affect your understanding of the world in any way?

In my first few years of teaching, I taught English and economics in California. And then here at NEST+m, for the first couple of years, I taught economics, but then I started teaching history, even though the earlier years of my career weren’t focused on it. Now, in the last five or six years, I’m always very aware of it. When I watch TV shows, if there’s a choice between an American show or one from Turkey or Japan, I’d rather watch the one from Turkey or Japan. I like reading books that aren’t written from a white, male point of view. I’ve made much more of an effort to watch/read things that are not just from the white male perspective.

What’s the best trip you’ve ever been on? 

I’ve been on a lot of good trips. I’d say one of the most important trips I’ve ever been on, when I was about your guys’ age, was when I went to Germany for six weeks. I was taking German in high school, so I went with fifteen kids from my school. We lived with a family and took classes for a couple of hours in the mornings and spent the rest of our time exploring. Then, I spent two weeks with my family in Northern Germany.

What advice would you give to someone who likes history but not teaching?

You don't have to want to be a history teacher to appreciate history. I think that especially in this day and age, it's important, obviously, to understand history. I'm always someone who thought it was important to keep up with current events, and it's easier and more interesting to keep up with current events if you understand history, because you can see how history relates to current events and vice versa. There are a lot of people who really enjoy history; reading it, or watching World War II documentaries. There are a lot of ways it can bring joy to your life.

Any last pieces of advice?

I was lucky to go to a school that I really wanted to go to, and I could take courses and study what I wanted to study. But I understand why someone would study something just to get a good job. There’s always that balance between economic concerns and joy -- sometimes they overlap, and sometimes they don’t.