My Humanities Timeline by Maria Morgan

Discovering My Love for Literature (K-12)

mariagmorgan56 — 2025-08-27 21:01:38 UTC

I first fell in love with literature in school, where I realized books could open up whole new ways of thinking about people and the world. This early passion lit up the path that I would later take as a humanities student.

2024: Marshall & the Society of Yeager Scholars

mariagmorgan56 — 2025-08-27 21:05:39 UTC

Becoming a Yeager Scholar at Marshall opened doors I never imagined and gave me the support I needed to pursue my goals. It created a community that encouraged curiosity, growth, and the confidence to explore my passions more deeply.

2024: Transformative Texts (SCLA)

mariagmorgan56 — 2025-08-27 21:07:52 UTC

Taking an SCLA course here at Marshall during my first semester completely changed my perspective on my academic goals. It made me realize that I wanted to understand the bigger questions about society, culture, and human experience. My experience with the HerdHumanities SCLA class is what made me change my majors to English and History and discover my real academic direction.

2025: Research on Black Appalachian Women & Healthcare

mariagmorgan56 — 2025-08-27 21:11:58 UTC

In one of my courses, I focused my research on the healthcare struggles of Black Appalachian women, looking at how race, gender, and region intersect to create unique forms of discrimination. This project pushed me to think critically about how historical narratives and systemic inequalities shape people’s lives today, specifically in Appalachia, and it showed me how the humanities can be used as a tool for advocacy and social change.

2025: Internship at the WV Historic Preservation Office

mariagmorgan56 — 2025-08-27 21:14:11 UTC

I completed an internship at the WV Historic Preservation Office during Fall 2025, and I was able to connect my studies in English and history with real-world experience. I researched and prepared a nomination for Huntington's oldest Black church for the National Register of Historic Places (through the NPS). Throughout that process, I developed many new skills (e.g., archival research, technical writing, fieldwork) and felt like I was making an impact on the community by helping a piece of Huntington history gain federal recognition. My experience was like the next step in discovering how the humanities can shape communities outside the classroom.