Statement of Purpose

My primary research interest is anti-Americanism in Guatemala from 1950-1960, analyzing political correspondence, media, and artistic expressions leading up to and following the 1954 coup. By examining both US and Guatemalan perspectives, I seek to enlighten the multi-layered perceptions that shaped the era and to understand not only what happened but why it happened.

My goals for this class, in part, echo the syllabus—to expand my understanding of the ethical and legal best practices of oral history projects and to apply my “skills in a real curatorial world capacity.” Throughout my career in the Army, I have led many investigations, as a Military Police Soldier investigating criminal acts, as a commander directing investigations into insubordination or misconduct, and as a disinterested third-party investigating non-criminal misconduct. I worked with subject matter experts and lawyers to assist me in, depending upon the type of investigation, the pursuit of “the preponderance of evidence” or “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The principal components of these investigations were obtaining, recording, analyzing, and archiving statements. I developed a repertoire that enabled rapport-building, encouraged over-communication, and put interviewees at ease. I am beyond excited to use these skills in a different way. I am excited to contribute to the making of history.

I competed in piano performance for 13 years before beginning my collegiate journey as a music performance major in 2014. I was captivated by how music conveys emotion and story. Music allowed me to explore the minds of composers, and as I immersed myself in these stories, I understood that my true passion lay in understanding the human motivations that drive our history. By the end of my 14th year of piano performance and my first year at the collegiate level, I knew that my passion was not in the pursuit of a career in music, but in history. Studying history would enable my desire to explore and better understand the narratives of people, their stories, their challenges, and their actions.

Once I committed to majoring in history, I sought out stories that went beyond events to reveal individual perspectives. Firsthand accounts like those of Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier and Battleground Iraq inspired my interest in stories about lived experiences, while Miguel Angel Asturias’ The President and Daniel Wilkinson’s Silence on the Mountain encouraged my interest in Latin American history and reinforced my love of storytelling.

After college, I received a commission into the Army Military Police Corps. My experience in active-duty service shaped my approach to historical research. Leading Soldiers in diverse, often challenging situations taught me the importance of understanding others’ perspectives–not just how they act but how they think and how they feel. A primary career aspiration, and one upon which I have already embarked, is to return to school and earn an appointment to teach History at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I intend to pursue a permanent assignment at the Academy following my tour as an instructor. Regardless of my assignment, however, I am thankful for the opportunity to do what I love, that is, to lead Soldiers.