Meet Rileigh!

Where are you from?

Dodge City, KS

What brought you to KU?!

Cheerleading, initially. But after I spent a weekend in Lawrence, I knew KU was the place for me.

Tell us why you chose to major in History:

I have such a passion for people. I started out as a History minor, but as I got to explore such diverse and compelling stories through my History classes, it made sense to make it my major.



What’s the coolest History class you’ve taken?

The Seventies: An American History with Professor Jonathan Hagel

Which historical event would you have liked to witness in person and why?

Tough question... Maybe MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech? The power of that moment would be incredible to witness.

What’s your advice to anyone studying history?

You don't have to know everything all of the time. There are courses that I have taken where I have a ton of base knowledge, but sometimes very little. I often get down on myself if I cannot grasp all of the material right away, but how can I know what I haven't learned?



What do you do in your free time?!

Watching any KU sporting event, bake whenever I can, and call my mom to tell her about every minor detail about my life.

 

Favorite Study Spot:

Watson stacks!



Senior Thesis topic:

The development of cheerleading at KU and how the program has been shaped by capitalism and gender.