In the Spotlight of History: Undergraduate Diego Sepulveda-Allen

The Department of History is delighted to share the stories of our students. This month the spotlight of history shines on Diego Sepulveda-Allen. Here is Diego’s interview:

As a pre-law student, I looked for a major that would give me the skills necessary to succeed in law school and as a legal professional. Historians and lawyers employ many of the same skills. For example, historians take an issue, find evidence, and make an argument using that evidence. This process requires historians to be adept researchers and proficient writers— two skills aspiring lawyers need. Consequently, by repeatedly exercising these skills in my history courses, I am giving myself the tools needed to thrive as a lawyer.

I think every History class has made an imprint on me somehow. However, if I had to choose, the two classes that contributed to my personal and academic development would have to be HIST 447: Law and Society to Reconstruction, which I took with Dr. Charles Brooks, and HIST 448: Law and Society Since Reconstruction, which I took with Dr. Katherine Unterman. While the subject matter of these classes was interesting, my favorite part was interacting with both professors.

HIST 447 was my first upper-level history course, so I was eager to do well. I visited Dr. Brooks’s office hours frequently. Dr. Brooks was patient and encouraging. He never rushed and often posed questions that helped me arrive at my own conclusions. I believe that Dr. Brooks helped me find my own historical voice.

Taking HIST 448 with Dr. Unterman made me enjoy conducting historical research. Dr. Unterman introduced the class to databases accessible through the library and on the internet. This experience taught me how to use online resources efficiently. Employing and practicing these new skills for assignments was one of my favorite parts of the class.

The American Bar Association identifies the History major as the top field to prepare students for law school. Why did you choose to pursue the Legal History Certificate and what have you enjoyed about this program?

My main reason for pursuing the Legal History Certificate is that I did not know much about American legal history prior to entering Texas A&M. The Legal History Certificate has familiarized me with case precedent and the U.S. legal tradition. As a result, I have become comfortable making legal arguments.

You participated in the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) LAUNCH program in 2024. Could you tell us about your thesis topic? What have you learned through the independent research process?

My undergraduate thesis centered on Anglo American backlash to the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. Specifically, on the prevalence and impact of reverse-racist rhetoric on the organizing strategies of Mexican American activists. My experience researching and writing my undergraduate thesis was incredible, and the fact that I enjoyed it so much was one of the reasons I decided to apply for the 3+2 Program. I was fortunate enough, with the support of the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute on campus, to do archival research at the University of Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and the University of Houston.

Parsing together a story through primary source material made me fall in love with the process of uncovering parts of history that we may not already know about or that does not receive a lot of attention. There are still so many important stories that have yet to be told. This reality makes me excited about the possibilities of what impact my research could have both now and in the future.

You mentioned that you are a student in the 3 + 2 program— a degree option in the History Department that combines a History BA/BS and History MA. What attracted you to this program and what have you gained from being a 3 + 2 student?

I entered the 3+2 program during the Fall of 2024—I see the program as an invaluable opportunity for me. Not only am I continuing to sharpen my critical reading, writing, and legal researching skills, but 3+2 allows me to get my MA a year earlier and without the added expense. As a result, I will earn my BA, MA, and JD in less time, and with less cost, than if I were to pursue each of these professional degrees separately.

As I have mentioned before, I am interested in pursuing a career in law, but that is not my only interest. During my time as a History major at Texas A&M, I have found that I enjoy doing historical research. This newfound passion has made me consider becoming a professor at some point. Whether I enter academia as a law professor or return to the ivory tower and pursue my doctorate in History, I think I would like to teach and do research either during or after my legal career.

The History Department provides a lot of opportunities for me to reach these goals. The two required seminar courses (HIST 280 and HIST 481) teach us how to research and write an original historical work. Furthermore, the History Graduate Student Organization Conference gives students at every level the opportunity to present their independent research and receive feedback on it from a field expert. Both of these opportunities have been helpful for me to understand what it is like to be a professional historian. Along the way, I gained confidence in my own ability to do professional historical work.

Apply yourself. There are lot of opportunities on campus and in your classes to grow as a student and as a person, but it is incumbent on you to seek them out. As a History major, you have the freedom to explore a wide array of topics. Whether you are interested in the law like myself or something completely different, you can explore your own passions in your classes while also exposing yourself new perspectives. Not only will you become a better student and historian by taking advantage of these opportunities, but you will become more knowledgeable about the world around you which, I think, makes us all better people.