My name is Annie DiAdamo, and I am an English Major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and I expect to graduate in May 2023. Although my primary major is English, I’ve spent the last two years really delving into medieval studies. In this pursuit, I was the first student ever to receive the concentration Literature as History. I have focused on global medieval studies as the field can become very Eurocentric without a conscious effort, and it was a transformation 1000 years all across the global with vast cultural exchange.
Although I do not want to become a medievalist professionally, untangling a period that has been wildly misconstrued in the last 500 years has taught me vital skills in unpacking historical inaccuracies that were created for a colonialist and Eurocentric narrative of world history. These tools can be applied to any cultural story that has been rewritten for a political agenda.
As American society becomes more and more polarized, it is essential that people look critically at the historical narratives that they have accepted. Medieval studies has taught me that properly studying global history, or any subject, without preconceived notions or prior bias is a wonderful way to grow as a critical thinker. I hope to some day care these principles into the classroom as a teacher. I can’t wait to bridge my love of working with children for my love of learning about human history.