Nina Halty
by ARTS AND LETTERS | Thursday, Aug 02, 2018
At Florida Atlantic University
MAJOR: History
DEGREE: B.A, M.A. History
CURRENT STATUS: Ph.D. student at Harvard University
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: By far the most challenging class I took in the Master's program was "The Historical Experience" with Dr. Engle (more commonly referred to as "5060" by the students). While this class was very difficult, it was also one of the most rewarding classes I have taken. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Engle's scavenger hunts in the library and continue to use the tips and tricks I learned in that class now as a doctoral student. When I was writing my thesis, the research skills I learned in 5060 helped me tremendously and gave me the confidence to tackle such a large project. BEST FAU MEMORY: One of my favorite memories at FAU was my thesis defense. Even though I was very nervous for it, it was very rewarding to realize that a year of research had prepared me for hte defense and that I didn't really have anything to worry about after all. Dr. Engle's surprise celebration for me after the defense was the cherry on top.
WHY DID YOU MAJOR IN HISTORY? Initially I started out as an English major because I loved how literature could help me understand the experiences of those very different from myself. As I took more and more history classes, though, I realized that well-written history books could serve the same function and could also give me context for the world I currently lived in. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT IT? I really enjoyed the research process and the feeling of being a detective piecing together fragments of documentary evidence to create a coherent narrative. I also found that I could still purse my love of writing in History papers in a way that I actually could not in my English papers.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE VALUE OF A HISTORY DEGREE? The classic response here is to say that History classes train students "critical thinking skills" that help them detect bias or pick apart arguments. While these are obviously important skills to learn (now more than ever) I personally find that the most valuable skills I gained in my History classes was learning how to identify with the experience of those living in the past and understanding why they made the choices they did. Ultimately, I learned that I could identify with individuals in even the most remote regions or time periods because they had to make decisions not entirely unlike the ones we make today and were motivated by many of the same impulses that drive us now.
HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE TO USE IT OR HOW ARE YOU USING THE HISTORY DEGREE? WHAT ROLE DID THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY PLAY IN YOUR CAREER? This is a pretty straightforward response because I am planning on pursuing a degree as a History Professor after I finish my Ph.D. I definitely would not be in this doctoral program without the guidance and assistance of the faculty at FAU.
FAVORITE BOOK: My favorite history book is Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom by Tiya Miles. My favorite non-history book is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
MAJOR: History
DEGREE: B.A, M.A. History
CURRENT STATUS: Ph.D. student at Harvard University
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: By far the most challenging class I took in the Master's program was "The Historical Experience" with Dr. Engle (more commonly referred to as "5060" by the students). While this class was very difficult, it was also one of the most rewarding classes I have taken. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Engle's scavenger hunts in the library and continue to use the tips and tricks I learned in that class now as a doctoral student. When I was writing my thesis, the research skills I learned in 5060 helped me tremendously and gave me the confidence to tackle such a large project. BEST FAU MEMORY: One of my favorite memories at FAU was my thesis defense. Even though I was very nervous for it, it was very rewarding to realize that a year of research had prepared me for hte defense and that I didn't really have anything to worry about after all. Dr. Engle's surprise celebration for me after the defense was the cherry on top.
WHY DID YOU MAJOR IN HISTORY? Initially I started out as an English major because I loved how literature could help me understand the experiences of those very different from myself. As I took more and more history classes, though, I realized that well-written history books could serve the same function and could also give me context for the world I currently lived in. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT IT? I really enjoyed the research process and the feeling of being a detective piecing together fragments of documentary evidence to create a coherent narrative. I also found that I could still purse my love of writing in History papers in a way that I actually could not in my English papers.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE VALUE OF A HISTORY DEGREE? The classic response here is to say that History classes train students "critical thinking skills" that help them detect bias or pick apart arguments. While these are obviously important skills to learn (now more than ever) I personally find that the most valuable skills I gained in my History classes was learning how to identify with the experience of those living in the past and understanding why they made the choices they did. Ultimately, I learned that I could identify with individuals in even the most remote regions or time periods because they had to make decisions not entirely unlike the ones we make today and were motivated by many of the same impulses that drive us now.
HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE TO USE IT OR HOW ARE YOU USING THE HISTORY DEGREE? WHAT ROLE DID THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY PLAY IN YOUR CAREER? This is a pretty straightforward response because I am planning on pursuing a degree as a History Professor after I finish my Ph.D. I definitely would not be in this doctoral program without the guidance and assistance of the faculty at FAU.
FAVORITE BOOK: My favorite history book is Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom by Tiya Miles. My favorite non-history book is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
