Major Spotlight: History

How a History Class Changed Me: Finding My Academic Home in Barnard’s History Department
When I walked into my sophomore spring semester history class, I had absolutely no intention of becoming a History major.

At the time, I was a Political Science major preparing to officially declare that semester. The class was Women and Gender in Latin American History, taught by Professor Nara Milanich. During the first week of class, she asked a simple question: “Who here is a Political Science major?” I raised my hand, along with several others.

She smiled and said something along the lines of, “Well, I’m determined to convert all of you into History majors.” Everyone laughed, including myself. At the time, it sounded like a joke. But by the end of the semester, she turned out to be right.

What started as a casual elective turned into one of the most intellectually exciting experiences of my time at Barnard. Professor Milanich’s class didn’t just teach historical facts—it explored how gender, law, politics, and society intersect across time. The course challenged many of the assumptions I had about what studying history meant. My high school experience with history had largely included memorization of dates, events, and names (mostly white men’s names at that). But this class showed me something completely different: history became a way of asking questions about power, politics, inequality, and social change, traced through court records, family disputes, and the everyday lives of people negotiating the law.

Throughout the semester, I began talking frequently with Professor Milanich about my academic interests. I was deeply interested in Latin American politics, particularly concepts like democratic backsliding, elections, gender disparities in political representation, and the role of law and institutions. I assumed Political Science was the only place to explore these topics, but she pointed out something I hadn’t considered: many of the questions I cared most about could actually be explored more deeply through historical research. The more we talked, the more I realized she was right.

When I started planning my junior year classes, I noticed something surprising. My attention kept being drawn to courses that approached questions about Latin America—its revolutions, music, social movements, migration, and cultural resistance. Only then did I realize that I had already completed most of my Political Science major requirements, and those courses no longer held the same appeal. Instead of feeling limited, the History department felt expansive, like it could accommodate all the interdisciplinary interests I had been trying to piece together. It was a whole new world!

By the end of that semester, I submitted my request to double major in History. Professor Milanich became my advisor, and the person who jokingly promised to “convert” Political Science majors had officially succeeded.

One of my favorite things about the History department at Barnard is its size and the relationships that come from it. Classes are often discussion-based and relatively small, which makes it easy to build connections with professors and classmates. Instead of sitting in a lecture hall with hundreds of students, you’re actively participating in conversations about historical interpretation, sources, and arguments. Professors genuinely want to hear your perspective and help you refine your ideas.

Another aspect I love about the major is how flexible it is. History at Barnard allows students to shape their studies around their specific interests. For me, that meant focusing on Latin American history and politics. Through my coursework, I’ve been able to explore topics like democratic transitions, legal institutions, gender and political participation, and the preservation of Latin American voices throughout history. 

The flexibility also makes you step out of your comfort zone, too. I took my first-ever American History course, Revolutionary America, 1763- 1815 by Andrew Lipman. It was scary and challenging, but who knew—it ended up being one of my favorite classes. I got to make connections between the Haitian Revolution (my LatAm interest) and the American Revolution (a new area of study for me). 

One question you might be wondering about being a History major is: “What do you actually do in history classes?” The answer is that history is incredibly investigative and analytical. You analyze archival documents, legal texts, speeches, newspapers, music, and personal narratives. You learn how to interpret both primary and secondary sources critically, and construct arguments based on evidence. In many ways, it feels like detective work, by piecing together fragments of the past to understand larger patterns (which is great for me since I’m pre-law!). All of this to say that studying history isn’t just about the past; it’s about understanding the systems that shape the world we live in today.

In many ways, history became the space where all my interests could intersect and now, those interests have come together in my senior thesis. My research focuses on the human trafficking of Latin American women and how that interacts with different legal systems, including international law, local Caribbean laws, and U.S. policy. I’m also exploring how trafficking networks have evolved in digital spaces and how that transformation affects enforcement, protection, and advocacy. The structure in which we develop the thesis is the following: we have a year-long thesis course in which we are split into small groups of about 10 people who share a similar interest, each group with a specific faculty from the department. The feedback and detail is so unique and curated that it turns a big thesis into a very digestible project. 

My favorite part of the major has been the intellectual curiosity it encourages. History pushes you to ask why things happened the way they did and how those histories continue to influence current political and social realities.

Looking back, it’s funny to think that I nearly missed out on this entire academic path. If I hadn’t taken that one class during my sophomore year, I might never have discovered how perfectly the History department aligned with my interests.

So yes, Professor Milanich was right. She can, and will, convert you into a History major. She certainly did for me.