For history major Arabella Cuevas, history is both personal and universal. Cuevas remembers watching old historical movies with her mother, who is Puerto Rican. Although Cuevas’s mother did not speak English at the time, the two were able to follow these stories through images. Now, that’s what sticks with Cuevas as she studies history at Boise State.
“What I love most about history is the stories,” Cuevas said. “I’ve always liked asking questions. I’ve always liked wondering, ‘How did this start?’ And it all starts with a story.”
In the College of Arts and Sciences, Cuevas has combined her love of history with a narrative arts certificate, giving her the skills to weave historical facts into compelling stories like the ones she shared with her mother.
“I grew up with very boring history in school back in the day,” Cuevas said, recalling her secondary education.
That less-than-inspiring approach to history is a world apart from her experience with inspiring professors like Timothy Guill and Emily Fritchman-Mahaney from the Department of History.
“They really rallied behind me from the very first year that I was here,” Cuevas said. “I think Emily was one of the first teachers I had and I find her incredible for lots of reasons.”
Cuevas is a non-traditional student who balances her education with a full-time job and a family. “My life is really complicated. I work full-time, I’m in class full-time, I have two kids, I have a husband and one of my kids is special needs,” she said. “So I’m pressed for time alot.”
Cuevas credits her professors with helping her navigate her packed schedule. “I’m talking to Emily right now and going through the process of a possible internship as well. So my teachers really have bent over backwards to help me.”
With her history degree and narrative arts certificate, Cuevas hopes to write the next Devil in the White City, a narrative history book by Erik Larson that presents a dramatic narrative using the real historical facts. We are excited to see what she comes up with.