Melissa (Meyers) Lea, B.A. 1991

1991 Major: History and French

How has being a History graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"The coursework I pursued at Duke stretched my intellectual boundaries and taught me how to separate historical analysis from historical fact. Professionally, while I am a high school teacher, I do not teach history, so the overlap is more about the intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills that I honed while at Duke."

What advice would you give students in Duke's History programs? 

"1. Learn to separate fact from analysis. Learn to approach historical events from multiple perspectives (which we did not do). This is so very important to understanding both the past and the present. 2. Extend your learning to other fields of study in which the perspective of a historian can enrich the conversation and whose perspective can enrich your understanding of history."