Hi, my name is Jessica Foster. I’m a Ph.D. student in Modern European History at Indiana University in Bloomington. Previously, I received my M.A. in History from Clemson University and my B.A. in History from Furman University.
I started this blog a few years ago because my head is always full of thoughts from reading so many history books and collecting historical artifacts, but I never write them down to keep a record or share with others. It’s not that I necessarily have profound thoughts, but I think they’re still valuable for my personal development as a historian in training and they may also benefit other people who study history as a hobby or career.
In addition, I would like to chronicle my journey as I pursue my dream of becoming a historian after a long absence away from school. When a health condition forced me to withdraw from Furman in 2011, I wasn’t sure if I would ever return to school. During a long period of recovery, I worked as a freelance writer, editor, and translator and later taught myself web design, even starting my own business. But by the fall of 2017, I hit a wall. I was so unsatisfied with where I was in life. I liked web design, but I couldn’t see it as a permanent occupation for the next 10-20 years. It still seemed so temporary, like filling a gap between two points. I wondered what I did see myself doing…I looked around my room at the many bookshelves full of history books. I thought about the topics I tended to think about and discuss…And then my eyes were opened. Why couldn’t I become a historian if I wanted to? Why couldn’t I go back to Furman and pick up where I left off? Over the next six months, all the pieces fell into place, from academics to financial aid to housing. Unknown to me, God had brought me through the wilderness, full circle back to my original dream which seemed lost forever.
Now I’m living this dream! I enjoyed a wonderful two years at Furman before getting that longed-for diploma. God blessed me greatly during this time. After a semester working in Furman’s Special Collections and Archives, I was awarded a summer research fellowship, which resulted in my first scholarly publication! Then, I applied to the M.A. History program at Clemson University and received full funding with a teaching assistantship. When it came time to choose a Ph.D. program, I received several offers, but I decided to commit to Indiana University. It was a difficult transition, leaving my home state of South Carolina and my family and friends there. But I’ve made lots of new friends here in Bloomington and I’m thrilled to finally be on the path to becoming a professional historian!