1Schaal

HunterSchaal
Ms.Boes

English10

17February2014
HistoryisNotinthePast:ItsIntheFuture
WhenIamolderIwouldliketobecomeahistorianoranarchivist.Thedifferencebetweenthe
twocareersarethathistoriansareanexpertatacertainsubjectinhistory.Anarchivisthandlesallthe
recordsandmaterialsinamuseum.Thetwocanbothworkatamuseum.EverysinceIwasakid,I
havelovedhistory.Historyhasalwayscameeasytome.IveknownforawhilethatIwillgointothe
historyfield.
Ahistoriancanworkinmuseums,buttheydontallworkinmuseums.Historianstellhistory.
Theygivelecturestopeopleaboutthetopicinhistory.Theyevenwritebooks.Whatahistoriandoesis
theyareanexpertonacertainsubject,event,ortimeperiodinhistory.ThelatehistorianStephen
AmbroseoncesaidI'mnopolitician.Iamahistorianwhohaslearnedthroughalifetimeofstudying
thatnothingintheworldbeatsuniversaleducation.Historianstellthestoriesofthepast.Somelived
throughtheevents,andothersgrewuplovingtheeventstheyteachabout.Historiansareteacherswho
dontworkintheeducationalsystem.Anarchivistissomeonewhohandlesalltherecordsandartifacts
inamuseum.Archivistsarethepeoplewhohelpstudents,authors,andevenhistorians.Theygatherthe
informationtheclientswants.Tomeanarchivistisreallycool.Seeingalltherecordsofacertainevent,
ortimeperiodinhistoryisawesome.AllenWeinsteinsaidTheArchivistoftheUnitedStates
essentiallyworksfortheAmericanpeopleacrosspartisanlinesandnot,regardlessofwhich
Administrationnominatestheperson,foraparticularPresidentorpoliticalparty.
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Thejoboutlookforcareersarevitalinformationforstudents.Theycanseeiftheycanmakeitin
thiscareerornot.In2012therewas3,620historiansintheUnitedStates.Thereasonforthelow
numberofhistoriansinAmericaisbecauseabout1000historiansworkfortheirlocalgovernments.
SevenHundredworkwiththeFederalgovernment.Andotherhistoriansworkasconsultants.To
becomeahistorian,apersonmusthaveamastersdegreeinhistory.Peoplewithadoctoratedegreeare
morelikelytogetthejobcomparedtoonewithamasters.Historianscanhaveamastersdegreein
museumstudies,andarchivalmanagement,andhistory.In2012,therewereabout5,600archivistsin
theU.S.,likehistoriansagoodportionofthearchivistsintheUnitedStatesworkforthegovernment.
Tobecomeanarchivistonehasagraduatesdegreeormastersinhistory,recordmanagement,and
libraryscience.IfyouareemployedbytheFederalGovernmentyoumayonlyneedabachelor'sdegree.
Youllneedamastersifyouwishtoworkatauniversityorworkatastaterunmuseum.
Salariesforthesetwocareerscanvaryfromawiderange.IfyouworkfortheFederal
GovernmentyoursalarywillchangeontheamountofyearsyouareworkingfortheFederal
Government.Theaveragestartingpayforahistorianisaround$52,000andthemostahistorianmakes
is$97,000.Thedifferenceinthesalariesisexperienceandonwhereyoulive.Thestartingsalaryforan
archistsis$44,000andswagthehighestarepaidaround$80,000.Paydoesntmatterawholelotto
me,becauseIlovehistoryandpeoplesayIfyouloveyourjob,youneverworkadayinyourlife
Historyisjustthesubjectthatfitsmylifestyle.
Whyismypersonalityperfectforahistorianoranarchivist?Iamaprettyhappypersonmostof
thetime.Ibelieveifyouworkasahistorianorarchivist,youshouldbehappyatwhatyouaredoingand
notberudetothepeopleyouarehelping.AnotherreasonwhyImperfectforthiscareerisbecauseI
lovehistory.YoucouldprobablysayIpassionatelylovehistory.ThereisntadaythatgoesbythatI
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dontdosomethinghistoryrelated.IfIbecomeahistorianorarchivist,Iwillbeinheavenforfortyplus
yearsofmylife.IdbedoingwhatIlove.Iamalsoapersonwhofindsiteasytogetupandspeaktoa
crowdoranindividualaboutatopic.Inthiscareerfield,youmustbeabletospeakandcommunicate
towardsothers.
Iamthatonekidwholoveshistory.IthasalwaysbeensomethingIveliked.Icannotwaitto
gotocollegeandmajorinhistory,andthensharewithpeoplethestoriesofhistorywiththeworld.A
historianisoneofthebigjobsinthehistoryfield.IwouldnotmindifIbecameahistoryteachereither.
IfIonedaybecomeateacher,IdhopeIdhaveaneffectonakidandmakethemlovehistoryjustas
much.
Sincelastsummer,whenIreallybecameinlovewithhistory,Istartedlookingupcollegesand
theirhistoryprograms.IdonthaveanideawhathistorycareerIwanttogointo,butIwouldliketo
studyeitherTheColdWar,WorldWarII,orjustthewhole20thCentury.ThecollegesIhavelooked
atsofarare,EvangelUniversityinSpringfield,Missouri,OralRobertsUniversityinTulsa,Oklahoma.
TheyarebothChristianbaseduniversitiesandtomeacollegewithaGodpresenceoncampusis
important.
Inconclusion,historians,andarchivistsaretwocareersthatbothneedacollegedegree.They
arejobsthathelpoutpeople,eitherbyresearchreadings,documentfindings.Iamapersonwholoves
history,probablymorethanyouthink.Historyisthecareerfieldforme.

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WorksCited
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"NationalTrustforHistoricPreservation."Preservationnation.org.N.p.,n.d.Web.17Feb.2014.
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2014.<http://www.bls.gov/ooh/lifephysicalandsocialscience/historians.htm>.
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