In tenth grade, I made one of the most formative decisions of my life - I signed up to take AP US History. Now, the mention of this class normally elicits a groan, and even a couple of tears, from any high school crowd - it's infamous as the most time-consuming AP class, a ruthless rinse and repeat of outlines, lectures, and vocab. From the first lecture, however, I was hooked. The fast-paced nature of the class kept me engaged, and I loved how much sense all of it made - you could clearly see what social movements caused what shifts in culture, or the effects that foreign wars had on the national economy. I especially found myself gravitating towards the conversations about the social, political, and cultural climates at the time. It fascinated me how much humanity and society could advance while somehow following the exact same patterns for centuries. I could see how these patterns paralleled my own life and the modern world's social and political climate. It's been two years since I stepped foot into an APUSH classroom, but I still attest that it was the best class I've taken in high school. I still use the knowledge I gained daily (whether it be in other classes or just as a fun fact to drop during conversation), and would be lying if I said I didn't miss it a little bit. Being in APUSH made me realize how much I love learning about the sociocultural aspects of humanity, and I hope to continue learning about history and cultural anthropology during college. When I tell most people this, their immediate next question is, "Well, what are you going to do with that degree?" I admit, it's a pretty reasonable question. It's not like engineering or pre-med, with a clear path forward. But my answer to this question is normally that I'm just not sure yet. I love the subject so much that I don't see just one viable future, one singular pipeline. I could see myself working in museums or as a historian, in the classroom as a high school teacher or college professor, or in the field doing research. As long as I'm able to introduce the love and wonder for history that I first felt in APUSH to other people, I think I'll find myself very happy. Thank you for your time and consideration for the Joseph C. Lowe Memorial Scholarship.