Grace Vaughan Sacks, a junior history and philosophy double major, took HIST 1004, a First Year Experience course, during her first semester at Virginia Tech. Things came full circle for Grace last semester when she had the opportunity to be a peer mentor for the course, an experience she enjoyed and found very fulfilling. Below, Grace talks about how she came to be a history major, as well as the opportunities and experiences she's been able to have by being in a college and major that offers personal class and cohort sizes. Read the full Q&A with Grace below! 


Tell me a little about yourself and what made you choose VT.

I grew up in Tucson, Arizona and upon graduating high school I moved to Northern Virginia. In high school, I was very involved and loved every second of it. I participated in the marching band program, volunteered through National Honor Society and Assisteens, and endured a vigorous AP course load and SAT prep in order to have the best chance of furthering my education at the university of my choice.

I applied to many universities and eventually landed upon Virginia Tech in order to be near my supportive Virginia family and to be close to the region that I plan to eventually attend law school. Many friends and family have asked me why I would choose a famously STEM oriented university to be a liberal arts major and my answer has always been that Virginia Tech offers the unique opportunity of being a large school with many clubs, opportunities, and people, as well as a liberal arts programs with more personal class and cohort sizes.

What made you decide to be a history major? 

In 6th grade, I had a history teacher, Mr. Grobe -- he was one of those teachers who proved a genuine love of his subject through the way he taught. He was a teacher who cared for all of his students and he made a genuine impact on me that will never be forgotten. He did not allow me to slip through the cracks as many gifted students do. I was a student who loved school from the moment I stepped foot in my kindergarten classroom, but upon middle school I began to be bored by my classes.

Mr. Grobe did not allow me to be bored in his class, something that frustrated me at first but eventually made him my most impactful teacher. One thing that he taught us was that history is an important subject because if we don't learn from the mistakes of the past, we are bound to repeat history. The combination of his unending passion for teaching and his relentless dedication to teaching students about the subject of history made me love the subject.

When the question arose of what my major would be almost 5 years later, it took me a long time to decide. But, when someone finally mentioned history to me, my decision was immediately clear. As a student who plans to move on to law school after earning my bachelor's degree, I had the opportunity of choosing any major. I enjoy the topic of history and at Virginia Tech, I have many research opportunities and a variety of courses to have an education on many topics.

Have you had any internship and/or undergraduate research opportunities? 

I have not had the opportunity to take on any internships or undergraduate research, but last semester I did have the opportunity to be a First Year Experience (FYE) peer mentor for the FYE course that is designed for history majors to take during their first semester at Virginia Tech. I took this course when I was a freshman and feel that it thoroughly prepared me for my years at Virginia Tech, as well as for the history major.

During my time as a peer mentor, I was able to share my experiences thus far, as well as assist the students in the class with a semester-long project. This experience was very fun for me -- I enjoy being in a position to give advice, especially about topics like courses and clubs, because as a student these are the things that I do full time and taking a moment to share what I have learned is fulfilling for me. 

Who in the department has impacted your time here the most so far? 

During my time at Virginia Tech thus far, Heath Furrow who has impacted me the most. He was my FYE instructor and is my academic advisor for the major. Every day in class and in all of his emails to the history students, he shares that his favorite part of his job is talking to students and that he is always available to do so, and this is not an empty promise. He has made an effort to know me personally and has offered me countless opportunities that go beyond the classroom. I am so grateful to have an advisor who genuinely cares about me as an individual and has me (and I'm sure every other student) in mind when he hears of a way to help us.

If you could give advice to any new history students here at Virginia Tech, what would you say?

My advice would be to understand that Virginia Tech's history department puts an emphasis on research. The undergraduate research possibilities are endless and there will be even more research projects in your courses. This is a very valuable skill and although it may seem daunting, you will have plenty of help and practice during your first few years in the major.  

You were selected as the recipient of the college's Staff Association scholarship last spring. What did receiving that scholarship mean to you?

I am in the unique position of being a financially independent student and, because of this, every scholarship is incredibly valuable to me. Being recognized by the CLAHS Staff Association as a scholarship recipient was very special for me. As I mentioned before, being a liberal arts student at a largely STEM oriented school has the unique quality of a smaller cohort of individuals that I interact with on a daily basis. Receiving this scholarship truly highlights the wonderful opportunities that come to me by being a CLAHS student. This scholarship greatly lightened the pressures of tuition which is helpful to me as I attend Virginia Tech to be a student, not to have financial anxieties.