David Foster Memorial Scholarship

“21/22 History MVP. Don’t stop fighting and don’t stop believing. You can make the world a better place.” This note was a parting gift from someone who changed my life. Mr. Tom Sheppard, my 10th grade US history teacher, showed me how to combine my passions and talents in order to have an impactful future. Every year in school we learn about World War II, but somehow, after 11 years, I learned of something that no one had mentioned to me: Japanese incarceration camps. I starred that term in my notes and went up to Mr. Sheppard after class to understand why this wasn’t taught in any other history classroom, and why they were in his. He told me the Japanese incarceration camps aren't part of the history curriculum, but that was why he thought they were so important to teach. He believed that the parts of history that were omitted were just as important as the parts that are included. This conversation sat in the back of my mind for months, nagging. What other significant historical events are obscured, and why? And so I approached Mr. Sheppard with the idea for an independent study: I will go out and find times in American history that are hidden or censored and uncover them. The independent study form at my high school hadn’t been touched in so many years that my counselor had to dig through a dusty box to find it, but I was beyond grateful that I had access to an opportunity like this one. I talked with nearly every history teacher in school to see if they had any ideas, and I landed on four: the Salem witch trials, the Japanese incarceration camps, integration in the South, and the AIDS epidemic. While many of my peers sought out every advanced class our high school offered, I was here: digging through books that hadn’t been checked out of the collegiate library in our town since the seventies, consuming every piece of information that I could get my hands on. In developing and carrying out the independent study, I learned two things. I learned that I can take my education into my own hands and that the stories of individuals are my passion. Because what is history if not a shattered mosaic of individuals, and how can it be complete if so many pieces are missing? Once I had this epiphany, I realized that I can be the one to make sure that pieces aren’t missing, and this led me to curriculum development. The only way to ensure that Japanese incarceration camps and the AIDS epidemic and the Salem Witch Trials and the Tuskegee study and so much more aren’t forgotten is to make sure they are taught to our kids. Education is our most powerful tool for a better future, so let’s make sure they are getting the whole picture. Mr. Sheppard helped me fill a gap in that mosaic so that I can do it for others; to ensure equity in history classrooms around the country; to make sure everyone sees themselves in their lessons; to make sure every voice is heard. Ever since then, I have learned so much and connected with so many people, and it all ties back to one winter morning when a man widened my perspective.