History Major Excited for Additional Schooling
Andrew Hoffman is inspired by his experience at BVU to continue his education with the pursuit of a master's degree upon graduation in May.
Andrew Hoffman giggles a bit in the weeks leading up to his graduation from Buena Vista University.
“When I came to BVU as a freshman four year ago, the last thing I would have considered for myself was more school AFTER I finished college,” Hoffman says.
And yet, the Chanhassen, Minn., native finds himself awaiting word in applications to graduate school. Hoffman, a history major, seeks to earn his master’s in the field. To be more specific, he’d like to dig even deeper into American history and the events surrounding slavery and the Civil War.
“I enjoy studying slavery and examining the long-lasting impact it’s had on our country,” says Hoffman, who minors in psychology.
Four years ago, he says, he was recruited to be a part of the BVU wrestling team. He visited the lakeshore campus and quickly fell in love with the surroundings.
“Never in a million years when I came to college would I have thought I’d graduate and want more class. But my professors really made this experience for me. And, I made the most of my opportunities.”
Andrew Hoffman
“What a gorgeous place, right on the lake,” he says. “And the people were so friendly. They wanted me there.”
During his time as a Beaver, Hoffman has traveled to Greece and across Europe as part of an educational tour of Holocaust sites. He’s hung out with friends on the lake, kayaked to one of Storm Lake’s islands and back, and has spent hours playing volleyball outside the suites come spring. He also completed an internship in collections and archiving last summer with the Carver County Historical Society, spending weeks researching and cataloging artifacts from the World War I and World War II eras.
“I’m more into the Civil War, but doing work on World War I and II items helped me broaden my scope,” he says.
Before the coronavirus brought much of the country to a halt this spring, Hoffman lived, worked, and studied in Washington, D.C., part of a semester as an historical research intern, devoting his time to study the history of the 225-year-old DACOR Bacon House, a residence in the heart of Washington, two blocks from the White House. He was one of a record five BVU students participating in The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars.
“Washington, D.C., was biggest city I’ve ever lived in,” he says. “It was fast paced at times, but calm at other points. I learned about where I was working and I learned about the pace of traffic, things like that. It was an amazing experience.”
His extensive study under Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis, Professor of History, Dean of School of Liberal Arts; Dr. Bill Feis, Professor of History; and Dr. Wind Goodfriend, Professor of Experimental Psychology and Division Chair for Social Sciences, has him prepped to discover even more. Again, he laughs at his surprising 180-degree academic turn.
“I liked history when I came to BVU, but I thought my college experience would be more about wrestling and making friends,” Hoffman says. “Never in a million years when I came to college would I have thought I’d graduate and want more class. But my professors really made this experience for me. And, I made the most of my opportunities.”