“Dr. Maddalena Marinari pushes me to do my best work and is always there to help me succeed.”
After beginning classes at Gustavus, Ellen decided to pursue a major in History due to her deep interest in the field, but was unsure of job opportunities that would be available to her. Throughout her time in the Gustavus History Department, she has not only become aware of opportunities for her future, but also been introduced to a supportive community of students and faculty. Ellen has valued the vast knowledge of the history professors within the department, especially in their expertise of various specializations, and has appreciated their support of students while also pushing them to be their best selves. She says “Students are pushed to reach their full potential, knowing that there are resources there to help them when needed”. Her favorite professor on campus has been Professor Maddalena Marinari, who is also her academic advisor. She says “I am always comfortable going to her for advice academically, professionally, and personally”. Ellen has also enjoyed opportunities to specialize her own education within the History Department, deciding on a focus in US History and immigration. In one of her classes, she was even able to focus her final research proposal on a topic of her choice, which ended up being Ellis Island Immigration Laws. Through this project, Ellen feels that she developed very important skills in historical research, all while learning more about something that she was personally interested in. Ellen’s work within the department has also opened up opportunities for off-campus learning, such as a summer internship at a history museum in her hometown. The skills that she learned within the History Department were transferable to this internship, and helped her with this experience, in which she learned important professional skills. Of this experience, Ellen says “Through tasks like creating an exhibit and giving tours of a historical home, I was able to combine critical analysis and research skills that I learned in Gustavus courses in order to successfully complete the internship”. Through her time within the History Department and the experiences that she has gained, Ellen feels prepared for a career post-graduation, hoping to go into the museum or archival field. On campus, Ellen is also involved in Big Partner Little Partner, as a History Department Student Lead, and as a College and Lutheran Archives Student Employee.