Joseph C. Lowe Memorial Scholarship

To answer this question I must use the word Gallia: a Gaul goddess, native to modern-day France. To me, the significance of Gallia is not her religious significance, but rather where she is found. Gallia and the dedication to her is found at Vindolanda, a Roman fortress found in northern England. This is particularly fascinating, as it is dedicated by the Gauls and Britons, and resides within a Roman fort. For me, this is the epitome of why I fell in love with history. History not only tells the world's most fascinating story but also fosters community. In many ways, I have been raised by historical documentaries. I have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV on chilly Saturday mornings watching a new documentary with my father. As I grew my love for history grew stronger. In high school, I would come home nearly every day with a new fact I learned from history class. From ancient scrolls of the Ming Dynasty to the song the Soviet Union played over the loudspeakers in Stalingrad to spark fear in the Germans during World War II. At the same time, I never saw history as a career path I could take. I had so many endeavors, from social justice to community building, all of which I felt like I couldn’t incorporate into my passion for history. But when I read the excavation reports from Vindolanda my views changed. I realized history in every sense could represent the community and it was also something I could work to improve. History can bring all sorts of people together. Asking about a person’s historical interests has become one of my top getting-to-know-you questions. But History and the historical field also have many faults. One of which is its lack of accessibility. In fact, my father once told me that if he could have been anything he would have been a historian, yet he never became one. This was because the historical field of his day was inaccessible. Sadly, not much has changed. I am committed to changing that. People like my father, who couldn’t afford it or couldn’t meet the physical demands shouldn’t be held from their dreams because a field is not accessible. As a first-year undergraduate, I have worked tirelessly to change this. I have worked to introduce photogrammetry to my college museum to create 3D copies of museum objects so guests can interact with art in more ways than just sight. Additionally, I am currently developing a method to convert 2D paintings and images into 3D, textile pieces, something that will be one of the first in its field. Beyond this I have become heavily involved in my local museum as a volunteer museum educator, working to create ways for young people to get involved in history. Eventually, I hope to introduce an art and accessibility unit at local elementary schools to understand the importance of art, history and accessibility. I love history, and I will pursue it for the rest of my life. From participating in an archeological dig in 2024, integrating more accessible ways of viewing art in museums, to eventually gaining my doctorate. But my love for history shouldn’t be pursued by me alone and I am committed to making it available for everyone, I just need some help along the way.

It takes great sacrifice to secure the brightest future. Looking at history this is a major lesson taught to many. When looking at wars and the past we see the great sacrifice and where it has led us to beautiful futures. In my life, I have witnessed and learned so much from history, and I have applied this in my life. My name is Dante McRae and I have always had a passion for history. I will tell you a bit about myself and what I plan to do with my degree in history and minor in education and how important it would be for me to teach history to others. At the young age of 3, my mom would tease me because I would choose to watch the military history channel and history channel for fun. I have always been drawn to history even as a young child. I have been fascinated by many wars, rulers, and past events that have led us to our current situation in the world. This has always intrigued me to want to learn more details and reasons behind the decisions that have lead to such situations. Learning about history has always been my passion from the stories, folk tales, and just the wackiness of how history has played out. It has spoken volumes to me and has been monumental in my upbringing, always learning and being fascinated by events, people, and places. From the smallest details left by our ancestors to those who had to walk so we can run! I would love to show our younger generations and fellow peers that history is not just a boring class you are stuck in. I want to inspire others and make an impact when sometimes there seems not to be one. To instill change where others do not see the importance of lessons learned or things unlearned by not informing ourselves on how history has affected us all. Many of my peers do not share the love of history. I believe some of the reasoning behind us is the way some teach these events. Many times we are just told to read, read, and teach ourselves. However, my favorite thing about learning history is engaging in conversations on topics, lessons, and feedback on why it happened. I would love to show the next generation how important many of these things are and make history fun and interactive. I want to light a spark and let that flourish. I enjoy talking about history when we go to flags in on memorial day to place flags at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. I love to see others light up when I talk about what wars or battles these soldiers who gave their lives for us. I also volunteer at wreaths across America and am so grateful to have the honor to place these wreaths for the great souls who choose to defend America. Volunteering at the YMCA I enjoy speaking to veterans and learning from all of them. My love for history is never-ending. I aspire to teach my love for history to others. I want to teach lessons from the past to help us avoid mistakes in the future. I want to make a difference for kids in the next generation. I would love to make my mark and change the way they see history. I would love the opportunity to be blessed with a scholarship to make my journey a bit easier so I make put my mark in the world. Thank you for your time, Dante McRae