What can you do with a History degree? We asked our alumni to share where their training took them and they responded with a huge variety of careers. Among them are lawyers, teachers, nurses, military personnel, and business owners, and more! This page shares a few of their stories below. We are thrilled to hear from our alumni. If you want to let us know what career path you have followed, fill out this survey.
Dr. Sara Awartani (’14)
A classroom in which marginalized histories sat at center was my entry point into the academy and remains my guiding coordinate. Born and raised in Gainesville, I grew up highly assimilated—speaking neither of my parents’ native languages of Spanish or Arabic—a childhood which left me with big historical questions about race and citizenship; Latinidad and belonging; migration and empire. The University of Florida’s Department of History provided me space to explore these questions as an undergraduate student, and it was where I first turned toward Puerto Rican history (with Dr. Lillian Guerra!) as an alternative source of affirmation. In fact, after taking courses with Dr. Guerra and Dr. Matthew Jacobs (on U.S.-Middle East relations), I began to wonder if there was a way to compare Puerto Rico and Palestine, so that I may learn something more of myself and my families’ histories.
More specifically, my research began while collecting archival research for my undergraduate thesis (which ultimately co-won the department’s thesis prize!). It was while completing two weeks of archival research at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies in New York City that I first encountered letters authored by Puerto Rican radicals, imprisoned since the 1980s for their own efforts to wage armed struggle for independence, declaring their solidarity with Palestinian liberation. It was also while completing my undergraduate thesis that I found a cartoon by Herbert Block (Washington Post) linking the Puerto Rican and Palestinian struggles through accusations of terrorism. I wondered: why was Palestine such a capacious space to make claims against the U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico, and what were its limits?
Ten years later, that comparison has become the history of solidarity I excavated in my dissertation and, now, in my forthcoming book (under contract with UNC Press, Justice, Power, and Politics series). It is an immense honor to have become an interdisciplinary social movement historian and Latinx studies scholar. And across my doctoral studies at George Washington University, to my postdoctoral training at Harvard, and now to my tenure-track position at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor—I am an extremely proud alumna of UF’s Department of History. Always and forever, Go Gators.
Christian Bell (’18)
I worked for 4 years in the US House of Representatives as a legislative staffer on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We are responsible for authoring all federal transportation funds and laws. Committees write bills, fix other Representatives’ bills so that they can pass, and reject bad bills. In my time, I worked on dozens of bills. This included the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which invested over a trillion dollars into our nation’s roads, bridges, and transit systems.
My History education was a tremendous help in this role. My job was about solving problems: evaluating several perspectives and making an informed conclusion to decide the fate of a bill. The critical thinking and analytical skills I gained in the History program were essential. Perhaps more directly, I was constantly writing in my job. My ability to quickly write concise, direct memos, statements, and legislative language was key to my success in the House. I also often have to write in a measured manner to navigate the politics of the Beltway. As Dr. Noll says, “Words matter.”
That said, I actually quit my job during the transition in January [2023]. I’ve been backpacking around SE Asia for the last several months and will be traveling the world for the rest of the year. Dr. Matt Jacobs’ Vietnam War class gave me lots of helpful context during my six weeks in Vietnam.
David Dry (’10)
The University of Florida History Department provided a foundation for my career as a historian and teacher. As an undergraduate at UF, I undertook my first archival research project through the University Scholars Program. The program’s most significant influence on me was the chance to establish a meaningful relationship with Dr. Florin Curta. Working with him, I came to understand the research methods and practices of professional historians that I carry with me today. With Dr. Curta’s encouragement, I segued that research experience into a presentation at an international conference and publication in Alpata: A Journal of History. Ultimately, the research I conducted through the University Scholars Program formed the foundation of my senior thesis, for which I received the distinction of graduating Summa Cum Laude, and inspired me to enter the 4/1 program and earn a Master’s degree in History at UF.
After leaving the University of Florida, I went on to earn a PhD in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and among other pursuits, I have had the privilege of serving as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar teaching at the International University of Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek. I am currently an instructor at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. I am deeply grateful for the profound impact the University of Florida History Department has had on my professional life.