{"id":11794,"date":"2026-04-21T10:00:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/?p=11794"},"modified":"2026-04-21T08:22:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:22:02","slug":"history-education-choosing-my-major","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/history-education-choosing-my-major\/","title":{"rendered":"History Education – Choosing My Major"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Choosing a major is the biggest stepping stone in a college student’s academic career. When it came to deciding on my major, it was a very difficult choice. I juggled between my two large passions in life, animals and history. As I gained experience in animal medicine before college, I began to realize that it was not the path for me. After my realization that vet med was not for me, I explored the path of history education. In exploring this path, I gained a passion for teaching.<\/p>

One of the reasons History Education was perfect for me was that I was captivated by different eras of history. I can conduct in-depth research on various historical eras, including ancient Asia, the Hellenistic Period, and the Middle Ages. These periods offer endless opportunities to explore culture, politics, and human development over time. Being able to study what genuinely interests me makes my academic experience more engaging and meaningful, while also preparing me for a future where I can share that knowledge with students.<\/p>

Another important factor in my decision is representation. History has traditionally been a male-dominated field, especially in higher-level academia and certain areas of research. While there are many incredible women in history and education, there is still room for more voices and perspectives. By choosing this path, I hope to contribute to that change. Representation matters, not only for those entering the field, but also for the students who will one day sit in history classrooms and look for role models they can relate to.<\/p>

Beyond my personal interests, becoming a history teacher also allows me to make a meaningful impact. Teachers play a critical role in shaping how students understand the world around them. History, in particular, helps students develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and a deeper awareness of different cultures and perspectives. I want to be part of that process, helping students connect the past to the present and encouraging them to think more deeply about the world they live in.<\/p>

Choosing to become a history teacher was not an easy decision, but it feels both purposeful and rewarding. My journey taught me that it\u2019s okay to change directions and explore different options. Sometimes, the right path is not the one you originally planned, but the one you discover along the way.<\/p>

For anyone struggling to choose a major, my advice is simple: give yourself the time and space to explore. Try new things, reflect on your experiences, and don\u2019t be afraid to change your mind. Your major should align not only with your interests, but also with who you are and who you want to become. There is no set amount of time for you to discover your major.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Picture\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShalee Mooney\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Shalee is a junior History Education major at SAU. She is from Broken Bow, OK, and is the Vice President of the History Club at SAU.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Choosing a major is the biggest stepping stone in a college student’s academic career. When it came to deciding on my major, it was a very difficult choice. I juggled between my two large passions in life, animals and history. As I gained experience in animal medicine before college, I began to realize that it… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1730,"featured_media":10592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[29425],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-29 12:33:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1730"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11794"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11803,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794\/revisions\/11803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}