Chad Timm, 1995

Currently I am a high school History teacher at Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines.  Upon graduation from Simpson College in May of 1995, I was fortunate to get a teaching job right away and start putting into practice what I had been taught.  I have also earned a Master of Arts degree in History from Iowa State University, and am currently a doctoral candidate in Education at Iowa State. 

My Simpson College education laid a solid foundation that has prepared me for life as an educator.  My education courses were relevant, and although it was 11 years ago what I learned in them has prepared me to succeed not only today but tomorrow as well.  Most importantly, however, were my undergraduate history courses.  The history faculty challenged me to be rigorous in my historical analysis and critical in my interpretations.  The class that prepared me the most was my senior Historiography course.  This course helped me to position the history and philosophy of history in meaningful and useful ways.  The oral defense of my final paper was invaluable in preparing me to orally defend my Master’s Thesis as well as in completing my oral exams for my doctorate.  A further testament to the Simpson history education is the fact that 3 of the 6 history teachers at Dowling Catholic have history degrees from Simpson College; hopefully we are representing Simpson well.

 

Megan Stout

The sun has begun its leisurely summertime descent behind the Tien Shan mountains that loom in the distance beyond the village I have called home for the last twenty-three months.  When I first applied to the Peace Corps, two years and three months of service seemed an impossibly long length of time.  As my final few months slip away with the summer, the imminent fact of my departure becomes increasingly concrete.  On the heels of this realization rides a second: what will I do upon returning home?  If the gods and a history graduate program smile, I will go back to school and eventually teach history.

My years studying history at Simpson College have, retrospectively, benefited me in ways unanticipated.  It was during my history classes that other cultures began to fascinate and, ultimately, entice: I was determined to go abroad and experience and learn about a way of life entirely different from my own.  Peace Corps after graduation seemed like the right choice.  I soon found, even before I left for my service in Kyrgyzstan, that my history studies provided a strong background for my future work.  To examine Kyrgyzstan in terms of my work there as an English teacher was stimulating; to put the entire experience of living in the country in a historical framework added interest exponentially.  Bordered by Kazakstan, China, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, my new country had been the historical stomping grounds for nomadic herdsmen, Silk Road merchants, plundering Mongols, empire-grubbing Europeans, and most recently, Peace Corps volunteers.

I had never taught before joining Peace Corps and my experiences as an English teacher have motivated me to pursue teaching as a career.  Without history at Simpson, I would likely not have considered Peace Corps.  Without Peace Corps, I would likely not have considered teaching. My years studying history and the following two years in Kyrgyzstan have complemented each other better than I could have hoped.  College is long over and only a few months remain of my time in Peace Corps, but both experiences have been integral components in discovering which direction I want to take my life.

 

Lieutenant David A. Burmeister,
United States Navy, 1996

LT Burmeister graduated from Simpson College in December 1996 with a degree in History.  At Simpson he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, a three-year letter winner on the Varsity Baseball team, and was named the Simpson Baseball “Newcomer of the year” in 1994.

After graduation, LT Burmeister was accepted to the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Pensacola Florida, and he received his commission in June 1997.  After commissioning, LT Burmeister was stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi Texas where he began flight school in August of 1997.  In Corpus Christi, he flew both the T-34C Mentor and the T-44 Pegasus aircraft.  He then moved to NAS Meridian Mississippi where he flew the T-2C Buckeye and received his Wings of Gold as a Naval Aviator in March of 2000.  LT Burmeister was then assigned to the Greyhawks of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120) at Naval Station Norfolk Virginia and received training in the E-2C Hawkeye from March 2000 to April 2001.  After completing training at VAW-120, LT Burmeister was assigned to the Black Eagles of VAW-113 at NAS PT Mugu California from April 2001 to August 2003 where he completed two deployments with Carrier Airwing Fourteen onboard the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN.  At VAW-113, LT Burmeister was assigned duties as the Squadron Safety Officer, Pilot Training Officer, Line Maintenance Division Officer, and Head Squadron Landing Signal Officer.  He flew over 50 combat missions in support of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, including the opening strikes during “Shock and Awe” in March of 2003.  LT Burmeister was then assigned to the Golden Eagles of Training Squadron 22 (VT-22) from August 2003 to February 2006 at NAS Kingsville Texas.  While at VT-22, LT Burmeister flew and trained new Naval Aviators in the T-45A, the Navy’s advanced jet trainer.  LT Burmeister is currently stationed in Everett Washington, and is assigned as the Aide to the Commander, ABRAHAM LINCOLN Strike Group.

LT Burmeister has accumulated over 2300 flight hours and 250 carrier arrested landings.  His awards include the Air Medal Strike Flight Award, the Air Medal Individual Action Award, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V (2 awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and numerous unit awards and citations.

LT Burmeister is married to the former Janelle Kraft, and they live in Mill Creek Washington.

 

Erin (Gobel) French, 2001

The words of my ancestors uncovered in family genealogical searches, the fascination with the times and places in which they lived, and a need to understand the hardships that they endured ignited within me a love of history and the human experience from a young age. Therefore, it was only natural for me to want to study history formally when I came to Simpson College.

At first, I was willing to pursue only a minor in history because I believed that few career paths were available beyond teaching with a history degree.  So for five semesters, I studied other subjects and finally decided I wanted to work as a graphic designer.  However, each semester I took a history class.  Each semester I wanted to explore the past, and I enjoyed those classes the most, even more than most of my art classes. They were challenging and encouraged me not only to think about the events of the past, but to think about myself as well. I knew I should study for a history major, but the Historiography capstone course scared me. It chilled me to the bone to think I would have to sit for an oral final.

In the Spring 2000 semester I took Modernizing America (Hist 367) from Dr. Friedricks.  Apparently, he was very impressed with my midterm essay because he personally convinced me to become a history major after grading it.  I am sure Dr. Duncan was extremely relieved because he had been encouraging me since I began my studies at Simpson!  Dr. Proctor was also pleased and welcomed me “to the dark side.”

For me, it was like finally coming into the light.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, because it has provided a wealth of opportunities for me both personally and professionally.  After I completed all of my course work, including the oral final (which is not as severe as my overactive imagination led me to believe!), I felt as though I could accomplish anything.  I was empowered to pursue further study, and I gained a greater degree of self confidence.

I traveled to Scotland to study for my master’s degree.  A bachelor’s degree with a double major in History and Fine Art uniquely qualified me for my graduate studies.  In December 2002, I received my M.Phil. in Decorative Arts and Design History from the University of Glasgow. This degree has a strong vocational foundation and trains students to work in museums and galleries, stately homes, and auction houses.

In 2003, I began employment with North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), the fourth largest local government authority in Scotland.  My first job with NLC was Assistant Curator for Social History at Summerlee Heritage Park, and the next year I moved onto become Archives Assistant at the North Lanarkshire Council Archives. Both of these jobs required a strong background in history, and I used my Simpson degree every day.

I returned to the United States in the summer of 2006, and today I am the International Programs Coordinator in the College of Design at Iowa State University. My primary responsibility is to coordinate the Rome Study Abroad Program, which sends 60-70 students to facilities in Italy each semester.  I use the critical thinking and problem-solving skills I gained through my history degree to facilitate this complex program.

I would encourage anyone with an interest in history to speak with one of the professors in the History Department to investigate becoming a history major and to obtain a better understanding of the employment and graduate study prospects that exist for those who major in history.