Continuing her placement series, Hannah Jacobs, 21, a BA English & Journalism student, explores the History course and shares her insights from meeting staff, visiting campus and discovering what it’s like to study the subject at Roehampton.
Alan Lee did it all
“Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to do for university,” said Alan Lee. “I grew up in a very working-class family. No one had been to university before. I had older siblings and a mum telling me to study, get a good job, and break the cycle we were stuck in.” They shrugged. “It was kind of automatic that I would go, but I didn’t know what I was interested in.”
At 26-years-old, Alan achieved a BA History degree at Roehampton University, went on to study a Master’s in Cold War History, and within the past few weeks completed their PhD thesis.
“I was good at history,” they said, “so I chose history. I have absolutely no regrets. I’d lost my brother right before and my exam grades weren’t the best, but the staff were amazing – they really helped me through a period of grieving, adjusting, and transition. I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for the staff of Roehampton. I’m doing it for my brother’s memory, even coming to the PhD level, and I’m sure he would be proud of me.”
“I think there is real value, in the political climate and culture that we live in, to looking back at the past and realising how and why we’re here. My PhD thesis follows the Pride March in London. Most of it covers pictures: of writers, of people engaging with them, of testimonies. These are real people, and what’s happening now is very much owed to them. The depth of that reality, of human history affecting the present, is incredible. History is empowering, particularly for minoritized communities; it helps you realise you’re part of this bigger community.”
I was fascinated to hear more about Alan’s thesis, a case study interested in the evolution of pride symbols and how people have identified themselves from 1972 to 2022 and beyond.
“I look at gendered symbols, like the lambda, which is taken up in New York,1970, by a gay man for the Gay Activist Alliance. He takes it from the shields of the Spartans, who aim at common oppressors.”
Read more about Alan Lee’s academic journey here.
I was curious why Alan had chosen to remain at Roehampton for their post-graduate studies.
“The staff were just incredible, and I knew that I couldn’t find that anywhere else. During third year, it was very clear that staying here was the right thing to do. I also got a discount for staying on for my Master’s.”
Alan had the pleasure of becoming a visiting lecturer for Roehampton University.
“Some students came in and said they wanted to learn more about the space race. I made a point to put in posters from that, and now they’ve written essays about it. They’re excited about learning and pursuing knowledge, and you’re able to help.”
“The fact that they have given me the opportunity to teach here, not just contributing to modules as I did, but to lead my own ― I can’t say enough how amazing it feels. To have designed an entire module and now be marking and working with students, it’s nice to be on the other side and realise that this is what I want to do.”
Alan Lee, what’s next for you?
“I’m preparing for my viva on 17th June! Also marking a bunch of essays and organising a research seminar for dissemination of my PhD research with a roundtable of distinguished academics. Eventually, my long-term goal is to become a teacher and help students like me understand themselves!”
Go Practical: Exhibition Curation Opportunity
I discovered Roehampton’s Library archive through a happenstance chat at a networking event. Amid my trail hunt to understand BA History, I wanted to understand the opportunities Roehampton could provide for students and their CVs.
Kornelia Cepok is an archivist at Roehampton Library and in the hour I spent with her, I was amazed.
As she opened up the broad records of past students, it was more than a routine list of names; she began to weave a narrative of student evacuations during the London Blitz, of the first teacher training courses that brought children to summer schools, and dozens of donated theatre programme pamphlets.
One pamphlet, dating to 1943, stated: “You will be notified by an illuminated sign if an Air Raid Warning has been sounded during the performance […] if you feel you must go―you will depart quietly and without excitement.”
What is, on the surface, a simple collection of programmes, is a record of: commercial response to the London Blitz, contemporary advertisements, and documentation of contemporary public entertainment. Consider how the changing quality and size of paper across months and years represents a paper shortage during the Second World War.
Here is a letter from a Ms. Jebb, then-head of Roehampton University, addressing London County Council with a query. It is 1943, and a Jewish student, who is near married, is questioning her eligibility to be hired on account of her foreign nationality. In a few lines, this preserved correspondence raises questions about gender division, marriage, nationality, immigration, and ethics in the education sector of Britain, 1943.
As a BA History student, the archives hold an open invitation for you to get involved investigating the written and visual material preserved by Roehampton University.
If curation is of interest, students may collaborate to produce an exhibition based on a variety of topics:
- Women’s education in Britain
- The Froebel Movement, Froebel Education Institute, and social inclusion
- A century-and-a-half of rich student and university life records
- Development of child protection protocols as demonstrated by available material
- Children’s literature, including periodicals
- Education in the context of world-shaking historical moments such as the Blitz
Not only an invaluable CV opportunity, this allows students real-world application of skills developed within their degree. To enquire further, please contact archives@roehampton.ac.uk.
Lily, an Alumni
I was very interested in contacting and interviewing an alumni student of Roehampton’s BA History course, although I’d had little luck so far. Thankfully, I managed to get on a call with Lily Markham-Sawyer, who graduated two years ago.
Lily (24) achieved a Joint Honours in Classical Civilisation and History at Roehampton University and is now employed by the National Army Museum as a Visitor and Retail Sales Assistant and Trainee Merchandiser.
“It’s a very long title,” she said, laughing. “Three days a week, I work in the office, fielding supplier emails and researching new product ideas. The other day I’m more customer-focused, welcoming people into the museum welcome desk or in the shop, selling products and giving them information about the museum and its collection.”
I was, quite frankly, shocked to find out she had achieved this position within half a year of graduation.
“I saw an application for retail sales assistant here at the Army Museum, so I just applied for it and was lucky enough that I got offered the job. I’m actually looking at a promotion to full time merchandiser now.”
Lily began her degree in 2020. “I stumbled upon Roehampton by chance, really. I was looking at different courses, and the Roehampton Join Honours they had at the time came up. It was a no brainer for me.”
“If I could redo my undergraduate years, I would still pick Roehampton University,” Lily said, after pausing to think. “I really liked the staff and the people there. I personally had a good experience, and I know everyone has a different story to tell, but when I had issues with my course, I left feedback and the university responded promptly. I enjoyed the vibe there and found that anyone was willing to help you so long as, you know, you ask for the help.”
I invited Lily to reflect on the skills she gained from her BA History modules that have been useful in her career.
“History taught me how to effectively apply my knowledge. The history of the army isn’t my strong suit, but my dissertation was about 17th century England and I focussed on the Civil War, which we cover in the museum. It’s less about having knowledge on histories, and more about developing the ability to analyse and interpret new sources and data.”
She continued, “You can’t look at anything in today’s age and say that there isn’t a connection to the past. It’s important that people don’t just become a number in a system. We must keep those stories alive.”
Lily Markham-Sawyer, what’s next for you?
“I wanted to be curator, but my plans have changed. Long-term, I’ve been thinking about going into teaching. I love history and I’d love to share that with people – inspire a younger generation of classicists or historians. It’s important to keep that alive.”
Book Launch: ‘The Long Death of Adolf Hitler’ by Dr. Caroline Sharples
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to crash (read: practice networking by attending) a book launch party ― specially, that of Dr. Caroline Sharples, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Roehampton.
To give you a clearer example of Roehampton’s History expertise, I believed sharing an impression of Caroline’s most recent endeavour would be perfect.
With a fierce interest in memories: how historical moments are understood by contemporary public, memorialised, and remembered, Caroline delivers a cultural perspective to historical development.
‘The Long Death of Adolf Hitler’ is an exhaustive investigation interested in the cultural impact and response to Adolf Hitler’s death.
Consider this: it is rare for a dictator’s death to be private. Many sought closure through staging violent plays in public, which imagined a suitably brutal death for Hitler. Others followed sensational rumours of Hitler’s survival.
Quoted from book sypnosis: “Adolf Hitler has taken a long time to die, despite the lethal efficiency of the gun he put to his head in April 1945. Although eagerly anticipated around the world, there were no available witnesses to his suicide—and his corpse was not put on display. This created the perfect vacuum for myth and survival legends, while rival intelligence agencies and propaganda further confounded the investigations of successive historians.”
Thoughts on Societies
Steve Balderston, 37-years-old, is a 3rd year BA History student. His return to university followed a career in tourism and business management, working in the Aussie outback, Central London, and South Africa.
“I joined the Radio society,” he said with a grin, “for purely selfish reasons.”
A podcasting amateur, Steve wanted to develop his skills.
“I wanted to record a podcast with Caroline about her new book and therefore keep it as a soundbite. When I go for jobs later, I’ll be like, ‘Here’s my presentation skills!’ There’s a group chat on WhatsApp going on all the time.”
Alan Lee found community and life-long friends through Roehampton’s societies.
“The societies made a real difference for me. I was in the Gaming Society. I’m not a competitive gamer – I like to sit and play a little bit of healthy Mario Kart and I like to win, so I play with people who aren’t good. I rocked up with my 3DS and made friends for life. I wasn’t someone who drank a lot at the time, so that was my safe space and gradually I was able to do a bit of both.”
“When I started my PhD, I went to a friend’s wedding that I met through this university. Most of my friends, unfortunately, were international, so they are all quite far away. But now there is this exciting network of places I can visit because I met people here.”
They fondly remembered their time with the LGBTQ society.
“I was also in the LGBTQ Society, which helped me come to terms with certain identities. Figuring out what that meant and who I wanted to be, where I could start fresh, was quite exciting. I heard a lot of good things about a lot of the other societies too.”
Steve Balderston, what’s next for you?
“I’m going to take a History Masters at Roehampton University.”
Hear from Caroline
“Hello! If you’re reading this, you’re obviously thinking about studying for a degree in History – and, even more importantly, doing so at the University of Roehampton. Congratulations on taking this first step!
History is an amazing subject because the past is never past. It is always evolving, inspiring new research questions and generating public debate about the sort of history we choose to remember, and the bits we’d prefer to forget.
If I had to sum up our History programme in three words, I’d say it is modern, inclusive and relevant. We explore diverse global themes, encounter previously marginalised voices and engage with trendy new areas of historical enquiry such as the history of emotions, disabilities and the environment. But at the heart of everything we do is the firm belief that History really matters! It helps us reflect on our identities, and it gives us the tools to understand the roots of the prevailing social, cultural and political challenges facing our world today.
We will teach you how to question evidence and challenge assumptions. You will develop valuable critical thinking skills, intellectual curiosity and the confidence to communicate your ideas. We’re also passionate about ‘learning through doing’ so you will take field trips into the centre of London to explore how history is represented within museums, galleries and heritage sites.
We will connect you directly with professionals working within various history-related industries to demonstrate how our subject resonates far beyond the classroom. And you will have a go at designing your own pieces of public history such as exhibition panels, podcasts and heritage trails.
I am really excited by the fresh, innovative way in which Roehampton approaches the teaching of History – and I hope you’re feeling equally inspired. So, as you consider joining us, I’ll leave you with a few questions to ponder:
- What kinds of stories about the past do you want to challenge, complicate or retell?
- Which historical issues feel urgent or personal to you right now?
- How might studying history help you understand (and shape) the world you’re living in?
If these questions spark something in you, we’d love to hear from you!”
From archive curation and field trips to expert teaching and a supportive community, Roehampton’s BA History programme offers a range of opportunities to explore the past in meaningful and practical ways. Find out more about the course here.