Alexander Kraemer ’15, a history major and English minor from Mt. Angel, Oregon, was recently awarded a Davies-Jackson Scholarship to study at St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge. The Davies-Jackson Scholarship is awarded annually to students with exceptional academic records who are also the first in their families to graduate college. Alex will spend the next two years completing a graduate degree in history. He is the first student or alumnus from Lewis & Clark to receive the award.
How did you find out and apply for the Davies-Jackson scholarship? Did any faculty members help out in the process?
I found out about it through an info session held by Professors David Campion and Karen Gross. The application process is very straightforward, requiring the completion of a fairly typical application form and a series of essays. Professors Campion, Gross, and Maureen Healy were all incredibly helpful to me as I worked on my essays; I doubt I would have been much of a contender at all without their input.
What are you planning on studying at the University of Cambridge?
I will be continuing my study of history. Ideally, I would be able to continue working on my current area of research, which is the Anglo-American relationship in the context of the early Cold War.
How do you think your Lewis & Clark education has contributed to you seeing yourself as a citizen in a global community?
My education at Lewis & Clark has allowed me to better contextualize my place in the world. History and English are both very fruitful paths towards self-improvement and broadening one’s understanding of their place in the world. In my experience, history provides the means to understand the events that created the world today, and English provides the means to more meaningfully engage with the world as it is revealed by history.
What are your plans for the future, and how do you think this experience will figure in those plans?
I hope to pursue a PhD in history and then enter academia. Two years at Cambridge will definitely help with that longer-term goal. The networking opportunities and the academic advantages provided by my time there will alter the trajectory of my life.
Any advice to share with other Lewis & Clark students applying for similar awards in the future?
Pursue any and all opportunities that come your way. Even if an opportunity seems far off and remote and unlikely to pay off, go after it, because you never know what might happen.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to future Lewis & Clark students?
Four years go by much faster than you can imagine. Make the most of it, and be conscious of the passage of time. And remember that you’re in school for the education, not for the fun (at least after the first year or two). And remember that life isn’t about money or distinctions; it’s about the people who support you and help you to earn that money and those distinctions.
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