History Comes to Life Through Research & Faculty Support

He’s attended all of the forums thrown by the department since his first year, including one hosted by Associate Professor Stephanie Gray, his faculty advisor.

“Seeing history in action is my favorite part of the History Forum. It’s great to watch the things we study in class get put to work in the public, and it makes me even more excited about the field,” he said.

For Cole, the forum is one part of a community he has formed that makes him feel supported within Liberal Arts.

“As a history major, I am part of a smaller group of majors on campus. I think the size of the Department of History is perfect because it allows us to bond more and create closer relationships with our professors,” he said.

That community includes professors like Dr. Gray and Dr. Julia Hudson-Richards. “They’re both so amazing with teaching not only their courses but also helping me develop transferable skills, such as new citation styles and collegiate-level research,” he said.

His success coach, Bridget Ventrice, has been another pillar of support. “Bridget has been nothing short of incredible as a success coach for my entire time at Duquesne,” he said. “She has always supported my personal growth as well as academic endeavors with passion unmatched by anyone else.”
 
Cole shares that Bridget has even helped him through tough ethics classes. “She inspired me to tough it out and keep pushing even when I didn’t think I could,” he said.
 
Practical decisions have helped him feel set up for success, too. Cole transferred in a semester’s worth of credits, which eases the pressure of his course load and gives him the option to graduate early and save money.
 
“I was able to transfer in almost an entire semester’s worth of credit and it may be the single best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.