Sophie in Wonderland by Sophie

Sophie in Wonderland by Sophie - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

Are you familiar with the phrase “going down the rabbit hole”? It originates from the famous book Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. Alice literally fell down a hole and landed in a chaotic fantasy land. I fell down a rabbit hole too, but only figuratively. There are no talking white rabbits or wacky figures like the Mad Hatter or Queen of Hearts in the hole I fell down, though there is lots to keep me fascinated and curious: ”new” worlds to discover, interesting “characters,” and amazing places. What is this magical rabbit hole I find myself in? The study of history and culture!

Some see history classes as a stale, fact-laden requirement for graduation about famous people. I find it an absorbing pursuit that helps us to learn how the world got to where it is today. It's the story of music, art, fashion, sports, cultural practices and grassroots movements of people struggling to make life better. Today the importance of history is made even more evident by the current push to deny or hide aspects of history in public schools. I want to know why and how the world has changed, but just as importantly, why many aspects have not.

I am not sure when my interest started, but I grew up in a family with a rich history. I learned firsthand from my elders about migrating to the United States, living under segregation, fighting foreign wars, and participating in social movements. From them I learned that everyone is a part of, and contributes to history. Watching old movies, reading books, and listening to music from different eras certainly contributed. So too did fun class activities like participating in Colonial Day in elementary school, when the entire day was spent in colonial dress, making food and household goods the “old fashioned way;” constructing a diorama of a California mission, creating a board game based off of the War of 1812, and creating a resume for South African anti-apartheid activist Albert Luthuli. I have been fortunate to have had some great teachers who inspired my interest in history to grow even more, so much more that even when I am on vacation I like learning about the history of the places to which I travel.

Most recently I got to visit one of my most favorite places, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Because of the design and layout, and the particular interests of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, this is my favorite museum. I love the focus on applied design and arts. It gives us a peek into the everyday use of historical objects, with an emphasis on their design and use, from ancient Chinese pottery to turn of the century medical devices, and from Victorian wallpaper patterns and dresses to modern fashion photography. I was fortunate to see the Diva exhibit in 2023, which took five years for the curators to plan. It presented the fascinating story of the “Diva,” a word that originally described creative and path-breaking women performers in opera. This exhibit was huge, and included theater, movies, and music, celebrating women who changed their arts and their cultures. It was fun to see contemporary performers like Rhianna, Madonna, and Cher alongside Marilyn Monroe, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.
I look forward to more such museum visits in the future, and discovering more in cultural anthropology and history. The only problem with my “rabbit hole” is that unlike Alice, I am not so eager to climb out!