Ryan T. Herich seemed like an incredible man who loved history. As a person who shares similar passions, I am aware of the profound influence people like him share with those around them. My name is Emma Blume and I am determined to study history in college as I believe that although history is not an inherently cyclical thing, it is a reminder of all of what humanity is capable of, and whether we use our capabilities for greatness or atrocities is determined by us. Our understanding of historical events is often shaped by personal bias, our geographical location, and curation. Although this is not inherently problematic, a quality history education is integral for helping youth navigate their own view of the endlessly vast nature of human history. My motivation to study history has been born from these values, as I intend to use my education to become a teacher. Admittedly, history is seemingly such a vast study. As my interest in it has grown I have often found myself overwhelmed with just how much there is to learn. In this massive sea of knowledge, I have found comfort however. I have had a tumultuous high school experience, having to experience both my mothers cancer diagnosis and recovery, my dad losing his job, moving across the state in the middle of sophomore year, and other financial stressors stemming from those conflicts. In these hardships, education became something that gave me consistency. I have had great teachers who pushed me to excel even when they had no idea what I was going through. Due to that, I want to do the same for future students. Thanks to teachers, I found my love of history as well. In middle school during Covid my Texas History teacher went above and beyond to garner our interest in the past. He went beyond the surface level curriculum and somehow managed to get a room full of unruly middle school students to beg him to teach us more about history. Seeing the impact of history when taught well was transformative for me and planted the seed for what eventually became my dream career. In the end, I love history and believe that everyone deserves to be educated about the good, bad, ugly, and beauty of our past. Another reason I want to pursue it and teach others about history is due to some faults of the study as well. Some people have had bad teachers, struggled to find good educational resources about topics they care about, and/or found the endless sea of information daunting without a proper entry point. As an educator I will try to counteract these barriers to knowledge, as even if most of my students will not end up pursuing history as a job in adulthood, history is integral foundational knowledge for understanding the complexities of the world around you. Ignorance to the “why” of the world around you impedes progress and understanding of the context of the contemporary world. The world needs more people who delve deeper into events far predating us as those circumstances allowed for the current state of society. As I advance into my future, I cannot wait to further my education and help others do the same with my career.