History, B.A.

Melissa Churchill is a 2017 graduate with a B.A. in History. While at Lewis Melissa was involved in the History Honors Society (Phi Alpha Theta), University Ministry as a retreat leader and Peer Minister, a student worker for the Lewis Office of Veteran Affairs, a Navigator, Army ROTC, and various other clubs throughout her Lewis experience. Currently Melissa serves as a Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army and will complete her training at MIBOLC this fall.

"My advice is that you immerse yourself in everything you do wholeheartedly and find your own path. While at Lewis I was able to join multiple clubs and develop both academically and socially this is not by accident but the design of the Lewis University. Studying history gave me an appreciation for connecting themes and not excepting information at face value but drawing on multiple sources and being comfortable with some ambiguity."

Most college graduates celebrate with their friends and family after the ceremony, but Luke Kramarz ’14 had something much different planned. Luke and his fiancé Elaine (Belen) Kramarz ’14 immediately married just two hours after graduation at Lewis University, and one hour after he was commissioned into the U.S. Army.

Luke currently serves as an Infantry Officer for the U.S. Army in Kosovo, as part of the NATO mission. Their peace-keeping mission descends from international efforts to build peace and stability in an area where significant conflict took place in the late 1990’s.

Tyson Polack is a 2015 graduate with a BA in History and a double minor in International Relations and International Business. Polack maintained a 3.8 GPA average and graduated with a 3.9. An Oregon native, he came to Lewis University in 2011. While at Lewis, Polack participated in Varsity Athletics on the Men’s Swimming Team for four years and served as captain for two of them. In addition to his athletic career, Polack served of the Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) for four years where he sat as President for two years. Polack also participated in the History Honors Society (Phi Alpha Theta) as Treasurer for two years.

Since Graduation, Polack has worked in Business Development at Medorizon and as the Operations Coordinator at its child company Rapid Records Request.

Richard Joyce graduated from Lewis in 1973 and received an M.A. in History from Illinois State University in 1980. He taught at Wilmington High School from 1974 until 2008 when he retired. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the History Department at the University of St. Francis in the 1990s.He has served on the Grundy County board since 1984 and was vice chairman from 2006 to 2010. He has presented numerous papers and given many talks regarding the history of the former coal mining towns (and the activities of their inhabitants) of northern Illinois.

Joyce reminisced on his time at Lewis in the History Department, saying "I thoroughly enjoyed my years at Lewis (1969-1973). I was well prepared for graduate school and for my future career by professors in the History Department such as Joe McFadden, Vince Howard, and John Lamb"

Mary Moran graduated from Lewis University in 2015 with a History major with a track in Public History and a minor in Eastern European Languages: Russian. She also served as the President of Lewis’ chapter of Phi Alpha Theta. Mary holds a full-time position at The Salvation Army Central Territory Headquarters in their Legal Department overseeing all incoming records.

She said "This is an incredible opportunity to work for a great organization that works all over the world to help with natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Nepal, as well as other social services and programs. The research and organizational skills that I learned from all of my professors at Lewis I know will become my best tools at this new job as I research information for new estates and organize the files of the office."

"Lewis University helped me reach my dream of working in the museum world, through an array of classroom opportunities, internships, and workshops. The history department professors challenged me and provided the help and guidance to graduate with high honors, and the skills to succeed in graduate school."

"My history professors at Lewis had a wonderful combination of knowledge, high expectations, personable approach and interesting stories. I learned how to study history at Lewis, a valuable gift for my graduate studies as I naturally asked questions about the author's historical context, pivotal words and the use of language."

"I discovered my passion for history in high school, but I learned to be a historian at Lewis University. In addition to helping me understand the past and the world around me, being a history major taught me an array of skills that I use regularly. I'm a better writer, communicator and thinker as a result."

"I liked that Lewis was a smaller school, because I wanted my professors to know me by name. The relationships I developed with these professors/mentors still continue to this day. They were instrumental in giving me words of advice and encouragement to keep going when things got tough."