Erin Conlin
Meet Erin Conlin, a historian who views the past as a collection of diverse, relevant stories. In the latest installment of the Meet Our Faculty series, discover why Conlin believes historical understanding is vital for our future and learn about her epic 711-mile trek across the Canadian tundra.
What is it about the history field that initially drew you in—and that ultimately keeps you interested?
As a young person, I liked that history was a story. I’m still interested in history, because the stories are diverse, fascinating, and relevant to our daily lives. History contains many different stories within a story, and as historians, we can help people see how many different things can be true at the same time. It challenges us to see the world from different perspectives and experiences and to learn from that diversity.
Why do you enjoy teaching in this discipline?
I enjoy teaching history because all students can be “good” at history if they’re willing to read, think, listen, ask questions, and discuss their ideas. I also enjoy teaching it because history is so applicable to our daily lives. Without decent historical understanding, it’s often hard to make sense of the current moment, and we’re likely to make poor decisions about the future.
What advice would you give students about how to succeed in college?
Work hard. You can succeed in most things in life if you simply work hard. A second tip is to be curious. Find something interesting in every class. Try new things. Challenge yourself. Be open to meeting new and different people.
Tell us something most of your students may not know about you.
My students know a lot about me, and some already do know this, but my most unique experience/humble brag is that when I was 17, I did a 54-day, 711-mile canoe trip with four other girls and two female counselors across the tundra of Canada. (It was through my summer camp, Camp Manito-wish, which is one of my absolute favorite places on Earth! It’s the absolute best camp ever.) We paddled from northern Saskatchewan to Hudson Bay. It was the coolest thing I’ve done in my life. Camp played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today. I was, and am still today, proud to do something so challenging and unique, especially at such a young age, and am so grateful for the opportunity.