Asierleigh Richards, a history major at UVU, recently won first place for undergrad papers at the National History Honor Society Conference. Her competition included students from every four-year university in Utah, plus two universities in Nevada.
Asierleigh has been studying history at UVU since 2016 after she moved to Utah from Florida. She’s been interested in history for as long as she can remember. “I'm not sure that I chose history as much as it chose me,” she said. “In my mind, there was never really another option to major in something else. I've always followed the philosophy that you can't know where you're going until you understand where you've been, and I've always enjoyed connecting the dots between events that seem unrelated.”
At UVU, Asierleigh has found so many people who are just as passionate about history as she is. “I’ve always been the person who brings up history ‘fun facts’,” she said. “My first day in an upper-level history class, we spoke about the time periods and areas of study that interested us. It was one of the best days of my academic life because I knew that I found a place to be myself, a place where it was all right to be me. I love that about my major, and I love that UVU fosters an environment where each person can find where they belong!”
In addition to her class load, Asierleigh is an active member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. Her paper, “Encuentros Apocalipticos,” took home top prize after beating out 60 other papers at the recent conference in St. George. She is also currently the editor in chief for “Crescat,” UVU’s history journal. “I've had positive experiences the whole time I've been at UVU, and each class I've taken has challenged me in a new way that I am grateful for,” she said.
During her time at UVU, Asierleigh has been strongly influenced by a few faculty members. She specifically thanked senior thesis advisor Mark Lentz for giving her the confidence to continue pursuing academic goals that she almost gave up on; Jenna Nigro for her guidance and compassion when she considered dropping out; and Michael Goode for his help and feedback on her writing. “These amazing individuals have helped me in ways I could never fully articulate, and I am forever grateful that I've had the privilege of learning from them here at UVU,” she said.
Asierleigh would like to pursue her master’s degree after she graduates from UVU, with the eventual goal of becoming a professor. To other students thinking of pursuing a history degree, she recommends, “Go for it! I know that a lot of people say that studying a liberal arts subject is pointless and that you'll be unemployed after you graduate, but jobs will always be there. Studying history will teach you how to think outside the box, how to recognize patterns in life, and will give you critical thinking and writing skills that can assist you in any career path. Even the tech giants hire people with liberal arts degrees, and you don't have to choose something you don't enjoy because everyone else says you should. Plus, if you're spending the money for a degree, why shouldn't it be in something that you love?”
