Have questions about selecting a History Major, Joint Honours or Minor degree plan? Talk to a Peer Advisor!
Peer Advisors are upper-year History students who have experienced many of the same things you are experiencing and are trained to answer your questions about how to select a Major, what you need to Major in History, and how to do well in your History classes. Peer Advisors are available from September through April. If you have questions about PATH, please email hist.undergrad@queensu.ca. Note: If you are an online student, please contact Arts & Science Online for academic advisement.
Click here to book an appointment with a PATH advisor.
Meet the 2022-23 PATH team:
Brenden Currie
My name is Brenden and I am a fourth-year history major. While I have always been interested in history, my great experiences with history courses in first-year led me to select it as my major. Throughout my time at queens, I have been helped by many people and I thought it fit to become a member of PATH to help others the way I have been helped. I believe that history here at Queens is a stellar program in which anyone can enjoy and succeed. Outside of school, you can find me playing intermural sports such as soccer or hanging out with friends.
Spencer Dearborn
My name is Spencer Dearborn and I am part of the Peer Advising Team in History, and my goal is to help you navigate through a degree in History at Queen’s. I am going into my fourth year, majoring in History and minoring in Biology. History has always been a passion of mine, as it is a subject that helps connect different parts of the world to one another in a unique way. I have always tried to take history courses from all around the world but have recently discovered my interest in American history. I am so excited for you all to start your journey diving deeper into the world of history, and I look forward to meeting many of you throughout the year!
Rhianna Grove
My name is Rhianna (she/her/they/them). I am currently in my 3rd year of a medial program in history and philosophy. I was introduced to the history program through HIST 105, Post-Confederate Canada: A History of the Present. It awakened my interest in social history, the study of people and community. Since then, I have found that history is one of the most diverse fields of study with a topic for everyone. It is also an invaluable companion to any other field of study you may choose to pursue. I look forward to meeting all of you and helping you navigate the many wonders of the Queen's History program!
Massimo Recupero
My name is Massimo Recupero, my pronouns are he/him, and I’m a Peer Advisor with the Department of History this year! I am an incoming third-year Con-Ed student with a major and primary teachable in History. In addition to peer advising, I am also a Con-Ed Orientation Executive and Third-Year Representative. Some of my interests include fashion, music, theatre, and writing! I am so excited to join the PATH this year and look forward to meeting you all!
PATH Alumni
Emily Viau (BAH '22)
My experience as a History student has been amazing! There are so many options when it comes to courses and I really felt like I was learning about topics I was truly interested in. I absolutely love the seminars offered in upper years. I feel I learn so much more and am more engaged with the course content than in lecture. I enjoyed how rewarding seminars were when contributing to discussion. Because the classes are smaller, I also had the opportunity to build connections with my professors and utilize office hours to improve my papers. I chose to be a PATH advisor because I wanted other students to know how spectacular the history program at Queen's is and wanted to make an impact by helping first year students select their degree plan. Being a PATH advisor is extremely rewarding. I felt like I was helping every student I talked with and they seemed to really enjoy and benefit from hearing about my experiences as a history student. In this role I was able to improve my communication and leadership skills and being on a team improved my creativity and collaboration skills, all which will be essential for any future career. I am now pursuing a Master's in Cultural Studies here at Queen's, applying what I've learned in my undergrad to another field to further my knowledge and focus my research.
Sarah Lewis (BAH '22)
I completed my degree majoring in History with a Political Studies minor. In first year, I really enjoyed my History courses and decided to major in it. HIST 121 Intellectual Origins and HIST 122 Making of the Modern World were my favourite courses in my first year.
In my third year, I chose to become a PATH advisor because I had an upper year history mentor in my first year and I found it really helpful. I think it is rewarding to be able to offer your knowledge to first year students as well as create a sense of community within History. My favourite part of my History degree was attending seminars and specifically learning about Russian history. I am hoping to continue within history by pursing a Master’s Degree.
Rachel Minor (BAH '22)
I chose to become a PATH advisor because I wanted to help first year students have an easier transition to the upper year history program, and to provide them with a lot of information. I enjoyed meeting the different students, the other members of PATH, and working with the faculty members who assist us. My favourite part of my history degree at Queen’s was being able to take a wide variety of courses, the extracurricular learning activities, and how understanding and knowledgeable the professors were in each class. My plans after graduation is to do the Bachelor of Education, and become a high school History teacher.
Kaitlyn Cloutier (BAH 22')
After taking my first history class at Queen's, I knew that I wanted to be a history major. During my fourth year, I made the decision to become more involved with the department and it was such a rewarding experience. The department is so welcoming and made the anxiety around taking on a new role fade away. Being a member of PATH gave me valuable experience that I have taken into my graduate career, if you have the chance to become a peer mentor I could not recommend it enough. I met so many amazing individuals through the program and felt a sense of pride in being able to help first and second year students decide that history was the subject for them. The department offers such a wide range of courses, and I still wish it had been possible to take them all. There is something in the history department for everyone, so if you have the chance to get involved in PATH or become a history major -- take it! You won't regret it.
Michael Romagnuolo (BAH '21)
Being a PATH advisor afforded me the opportunity to share the experiences and know-how that I gained during my time at Queen's with other History students that sought certain knowledge, tips, and tricks in order to make the most out of their degree. I would recommend all History students to consider joining PATH as it is an incredibly fulfilling position that helps the program flourish. My favourite part of my History degree was being able to hone in on specific historical topics such as the Italian Renaissance. Learning about subject matters that interested me through the combination of large lecture courses and smaller seminars greatly enhanced my reading, writing, and communication skills, a set of skills that will surely serve me well as I pursue a career in law after graduation.
Kathleen Ferns (BAH '21)
I loved every minute of my History major at Queen's. It was great to be able to take discussion-based seminars on topics that really suited my interests, and to meet other like-minded students. In my third year, I joined the new PATH initiative because I wanted to help students see all the benefits of studying history and to really make the most of their degree. Now that I have graduated, I am taking a year to work and will then be applying for Master of Divinity programs at seminaries!
Josh Weisenberg-Vincent (BAH '20)
I was an undergraduate student at Queen’s University from 2016-2020. At the end of my first year, I decided to major in history and minor in sociology. Although I enjoyed lectures, I found that seminars allowed for more creativity with the assignments. My favourite part of my undergraduate degree was writing my HIST 515 undergraduate thesis in my fourth year, where I engaged with debates about slavery and capitalism. During my final year as an undergraduate student, I was an advisor for the inaugural Peer Advising Team in History (PATH) in 2019-2020. I wanted to engage with the history department more in my final year, so I thought that PATH would be a good step towards helping students understand the ins-and-outs of a history degree. Moreover, I thought the premise of the project was great, as I myself would have talked to PATH advisors had it existed when I was a first- or second-year student. Although I only advised a couple students, I was glad they reached out and was happy to help. Currently, I am completing a Master’s Degree in history here at Queen’s, and I hope to continue my studies in history after completing my MA thesis.
Willem Rosenberg (BAH Candidate)
Bria Crosby (BAH '20)
Michael Ciomyk (BAH '20)
Emma Schwichtenberg (BAH '20)
Grace Armstrong (BAH '19)
