Q&A with History Student Andrew Dobrowolski

Andrew Dobrowolski

Where are you from?
I am originally from Layton, Utah but I currently live in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Why did you choose WOU?
I chose Western because it was recommend to me bey several of my dad’s employees who graduated from Western as well. I also took a tour before I decided to come to Western and I fell in love with the campus and the community aspect of the school and I saw myself being very successful at Western.

Why did you choose the History program?
I chose the History program because I have always loved learning about history and learning where we as human beings come from and how people have done things in the past. I really enjoy learning about military history and the cause and results of conflicts throughout all of human history.

What’s your area of focus within History?
The way that the Western history program is set up we students don’t really have a focus but from the majority of classes that I have taken I would say that my focus would most likely be European history.

What have you loved most about the History program so far?
I really like the fact that the History program is a smaller program because all of the history students know each other for the most part and it’s really cool to say that you know everyone in your program which is something the larger programs would have a hard time accomplishing because there are so many people.

I feel like this degree will help a lot in my future. After I graduate I will commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and I hope to be an aviator. In my non-military career, I want to work for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. and be a part of the artifact collection process.

What advice do you have for anyone considering this program?
The biggest advice I can give is do your homework and other assignments as soon as you get them. Getting behind in classes where you either read a lot or have to write a lot of long papers isn’t a great idea and doing your work as soon as possible helps make your life as a student much easier.

What has been your favorite class so far?
My favorite class so far is the Soviet Union history class that I took spring 2017. It was really cool to learn about the Soviet Union from beginnings to the collapse in because they were such an important part of how our nation was shaped in the past several decades. It was very interesting to learn about how their system was set up and what worked and what didn’t for them.

The most challenging part of the program is just the amount of reading that we are all assigned. It’s not overly difficult, it’s just long and there is usually a lot of them. The hardest part is just forcing myself to sit down and do the reading.

Who has been your favorite professor/instructor so far?
My favorite instructor so far is Dr. Goldsworthy-Bishop. She is a very nice person and is always very friendly during class or simply running into her on the way to class. She is always very helpful when it comes to school based questions or advisor related business as well. I always enjoy her classes and look forward to hopefully taking more in the future.

Has your work in the History program changed your views or assumptions about a topic or preconceived idea?
The class on the Soviet Union really helped me understand a lot of what was going on during the Cold War from a perspective that wasn’t the United States’ view. It was very cool to see what the other side was doing program wise in their government and their policies pertaining to the United States. I really enjoyed this class because it was a look at what the Communist system was like and how the United States shaped their country and how they shaped ours.

Can you talk about your work with the Oregon State Archives and how you think that will prepare you for life after WOU?
My work with the Oregon State Archives will be useful in my career after WOU because it will be job experience in the field that I want to go into. It will be beneficial to see what kind of processes go into the storing of documents that our government deems important and to see those processes in action.

Last but not least, what makes WOU fun?
The tight-knit community is what I feel makes the school most fun. I have made a lot of friends through the events that happen on campus and all of the clubs and programs that Western offers. It helps all of us students connect more in my opinion and I think that is what makes Western a great school to be a part of.