“Since high school, I have had an interest in history and I thought the best way to demonstrate my love of history would be through teaching. Coming from a small town, I wanted to attend a college that had the same friendly, community-oriented atmosphere, which led me to Cumberland. The size of the campus made me feel comfortable and significant because I wasn’t just another face on campus. I became a part of the Cumberland community. The history courses usually have a small number of students, so discussions, lectures, and projects are hands-on which makes a better learning experience for me and other students as well.

The faculty of the history department are super friendly and see beyond the student. They recognize hard work and the importance of being able to apply what we learn in the classroom to our future careers. This inspires me to push through challenges so one day I can achieve my goal of becoming a secondary history educator.

Education, specifically in history, is very important to me because it tells people’s stories. Often, history is overlooked, and I want to teach how history is relevant and how, even though it took place in our past, it still influences our future. History is tied to all the other subjects because history represents all human ideas. I want to teach how history has shaped our societies and how to apply history to our modern-day societies.”

– Alexis Tomlinson, Junior at Cumberland University