Alumni Spotlight

 

A note from a former History Major:

Dawn Brock Crone, Class of 1992 - History Major and American Studies Minor 

My experience at the College of Charleston was life changing – with the help of many professors (most in the History Department), I was empowered to find my love of history. As a freshman, I was undecided and taking general courses when a history professor called me to his office to speak to me about a possible major in history. He said based on my classwork and classroom engagement, I would be an added asset to the department and would be successful in any future profession. I was overwhelmed with the recognition of my hard work. Many of the professors modeled professionalism but also kindness in the classroom and outside of the classroom. They have and continue to influence me in many ways.

Fast-forward 26 years…

My degree and life experience at the College of Charleston prepared me for life after college. My late husband was in the military and we lived in a variety of places such as Germany, Colorado, Oklahoma and Indiana. Having spent most of my life in Charleston, I successfully navigated these major changes. I volunteered at 2 museums; 11th Cavalry Museum Germany and the Ft. Sill Museum, Oklahoma. I was chosen as volunteer of the year at the Ft. Sill Museum, two programs I created are still being used. The last 20 years I have lived in Indiana and 11 years ago, I went back to school to get my secondary teaching license. Prior to that, I worked at an in-patient treatment center for pathological gambling and later a Lilly Corporation contracted electrical engineering firm.

My teaching career has been at one high school on the west side of Indianapolis. I have taught German, Psychology, Sociology, World History, US History and currently dual credit US History. I also established a History Club that has traveled to the 2013 presidential Inauguration, London England, Boston, Charleston, New York City and this summer San Francisco. As an affiliate of the National History Club, I have been recognized as a national top advisor and the club has been recognized as a national top Club. As a lifelong learner, I have applied for and been chosen for many programs such as the Normandy Institute, National History Day (2013), Gilder-Lehrman American Memory 9/11 NYC, Confucius Institute at Sun Yat Sen University China, Bill of Rights Seminar - Slavery and the Constitution, South Korean Digital Project, and most recently NCHE colloquium “Technological Innovation and Patents”. I have also been recognized as Gilder-Lehrman Indiana US History Teacher of the Year (2014) and Indiana James Madison Fellow (2018).

When most individuals ask if my history degree was a waste, I disagree as the problem solving skills, analytical skills, public speaking, and well-rounded liberal arts education prepared me for life. Also, as a College of Charleston graduate, I have had many a conversation about my degree and the College of Charleston experience in interviews and professional settings. As Charleston, S.C. has become an internationally recognized destination, many people are impressed that my degree came from a college and city built on history.