Name: Sungeun (Stella) Chung
Hometown: Houston, TX
Graduation Year: 2025
Major(s): History, BS
Minor(s): Legal History Certificate
Out of all the majors available at Texas A&M University, why did you choose to major in History?
History has always been my passion. Growing up in South Korea, I took History classes as part of my extracurricular, weekend activities. I loved attending these classes. One of the fondest memories I have of my grandfather is sitting down and telling him about everything I learned from my classes and the museum trips.
When choosing a major, I knew I didn't want to waste four years of my life studying something I wasn't passionate about. Instead, I wanted to study a subject that was meaningful to me. Because of this lifelong passion, I decided to major in History.
The History Department has a university-wide reputation for excellent teaching, could you share with us the course(s) that has/have been particularly influential to you? What did you love about this/these classes?
I have enjoyed HIST 374: The United States After WWII with Dr. Anderson. The twentieth and twenty-first are my favorite periods of the past to study. I took this class with one of my closest friends. After class meetings, we loved getting together to talk about the lectures and the readings. One of our favorite things to do was to go to Dr. Anderson’s office hours because he always had the most interesting stories to tell us.
I also enjoyed taking HIST 448: American Law Since 1865. This class was a great way of easing into constitutional law and one of the most challenging History courses I have taken at Texas A&M. Despite the challenge, this class helped me realize how much I want to study law and encouraged my decision to become a lawyer.
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?
I decided to pursue the Legal History Certificate because I am going to be a first-generation law student. I saw the certificate program as a way to expose myself to as many opportunities related to the legal field as possible during my undergraduate studies. Because of this experience, I have been able to gain more than just awareness about legal history but to make crucial professional decisions before entering law school.
I always thought that I wanted to practice corporate law, mainly because I didn’t know which field of law I wanted to pursue. But, after taking a variety of History classes connected to the certificate such as (History 307: Latinx History and History 463: The United States and the World since the 1890s), I realized I was more interested in international human rights. Thus, the Legal History Certificate helped me broaden my view on the legal field and find a career path I want to pursue.
We heard that you participated in the Glasscock Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program. Could you tell us about your seminar experience and what motivated you to apply to the program?
I participated in the Glasscock Undergraduate Scholars Program during the summer of 2024 because I wanted to hone my research skills. My past professor, Dr. Ira Dworkin from the English Department, was the leader of the seminar. What I enjoyed most about the experience was the opportunity to challenge myself. The seminar focused on the Civil War— an area of study that I wanted to explore further. My project focused on the framework the Fourteenth Amendment which allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of nineteenth legal perspectives.
What career do you hope to pursue and how is your history major preparing you for your professional future?
I hope to become an international lawyer, mostly because I want to travel the world while still working in the legal field. Classes under Legal History Certificate helped me ease my way into the study of law while the broader History major taught me many skills required to become a successful lawyer.
The History program at Texas A&M has taught me how to become a better reader, writer, and researcher. I have become more comfortable with finding and analyzing historical documents. I have also seen significant improvement in my research skills, which helped me write more original papers.
Do you have any advice for future History majors?
We have some of the most amazing professors in the History department who are very passionate about this subject and are willing to help. Reaching out to professors may be intimidating, but they are there to help you. I recommend talking to them when struggling. They also have the most interesting stories, which is another reason to take the time to meet them outside of class.