Ignacio

I was 9 when I moved from Spain to Texas and I grew up speaking English and Spanish. When it came time to apply to university, I was torn between returning to my European roots or staying in the American education system, until my grandfather suggested that I check out the university mentioned in The Da Vinci Code. After perusing AUP’s website and student newspaper, The Planet, I realized it was a perfect fit for me.

I already knew that I’d be majoring in History and while fascinated by politics—especially after my Intro to International Politics class, where students from dozens of nationalities debated global issues—it was my love of news writing that moved me to minor in International Journalism. I was also lucky enough to take classes with the legendary Julie Thomas and Kathleen Chevalier, whose courses on fashion’s far-reaching implications and female artists throughout European history still inspire me. I delved into Napoleon Bonaparte with renowned Napoleonic scholar Steven Englund, traveled to Madrid while learning about the city-state with Stephen Sawyer, explored journalism with George Kazolias and CNN’s senior European correspondent in Paris, Jim Bittermann, examined Europe’s interwar years with Terence Murphy, and plunged into the history of Rome with George Wanklyn.

Looking back on my time at AUP, I’m struck by the sheer number and variety of extracurricular opportunities: I took part in A Chorus Line, became editor-in-chief of The Planet, and gained a deeper understanding of Jacques-Louis David’s The Coronation of Napoleon through the Les Jeunes ont la Parole program, where AUP students explain a work of art to visitors at the Louvre. It was also only after I’d gone to a much larger university for my MA that I truly appreciated the dedicated support of AUP’s professors and staff, who valued us as students and people. I learned to challenge myself, question the world, and make connections amongst seemingly unrelated disciplines.

I regularly attend alumni events and on my frequent trips to Paris meet with professors, whose recommendations were key to my acceptance to a master’s program in European history at University College London. I can’t stress enough how much I’ve benefited from the international experience I gained through AUP. When I was interviewed at the International Herald Tribune (now the International New York Times), they specifically cited my time at The Planet, students from my secondary school contact me for advice on studying outside the US, and my senior thesis was recently cited in Andrew Roberts’s book, Napoleon the Great.

I am now a secondary school history teacher in Chelmsford, Essex, where I also assist in the development of my school’s outreach program. In yet another nod to the history that I’ve loved all my life, I live in Britain’s oldest recorded town, Colchester. It’s been a trip!