Elm Britt is a history major focusing on German history and the Holocaust. They always loved history classes in high school, but it wasn’t until they were already at UL Lafayette that everything fell into order.
“My first semester, I was a visual arts major, but it didn’t feel right,” they said. “I was also taking general courses, and I was in a world geography class.
“I remember we talked about history for whichever region we were studying at that point, and it all just clicked,” they said. “Just talking about history for a single class made me the happiest I had been all semester, and changing my major accordingly is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Research Experience
Outside of their history major classes, Elm works as an undergraduate research assistant with the Guilbeau Center for Public History. Having already worked on the Honoring Native Land project, Elm is now focused on a new assignment.
“I have been working on the XR in Museums project for several months now, which focuses on the extent of virtual reality exhibits in museums and how those exhibits propel social justice, especially in a digital age and under COVID-19 restrictions,” they said. “This project is specifically important because it allows a platform to show just how museums affect the general public and change the world they inhabit.”
Studying German
Because of the history curriculum at UL Lafayette, Elm took a series of modern language classes and uncovered their love for German history. Dr. Caroline Huey played a big part in that, as well.
“A lot of people think learning German is intimidating,” they said. “But Dr. Huey immediately destroys that illusion with her patience, enthusiasm, and experience."
Elm loved the German language so much that they're pursuing a German minor alongside their history major.
“Gosh, I love every German class I’ve taken with Dr. Huey since freshman year to now,” they said. “It’s always been nice to have a familiar space to go and absorb information I hope to utilize in the real world someday.”
With aspirations to become a history professor, Elm wants to earn a Ph.D., and they are keeping all options in mind.
“I’m currently looking for ways to further improve my German so maybe I could even attend graduate school in a German-speaking country,” they said. “I want to inspire my future students to care about the past — and admittedly, the present and future — just as my history professors have inspired me at UL Lafayette.”
