My name is Alex Anderson, I am a Florida native and a BA History Major in my first semester at the University of Central Florida.

This semester marks my return to UCF after a few years away. I first began studying in 2012 under a different realm of arts and humanities: theatre. I graduated in 2016 with a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology.

After a couple years living as a starving artist, I pursued another fascination of mine: the military. I enlisted in the Army in 2018 and served as an airborne infantryman for 5 years. Approaching the end of my service term I was faced with many options for my return to civilian life, but one choice stood above the rest; my GI Bill and the opportunity to further my education.

I like to think of myself as a person with broad interests and a broad set of skills. Some would say jack-of-all-trades, but I prefer Renaissance Man – I think we can agree it has a better ring to it. In my years I have worked in the arts and entertainment industry, I spent six months working on a cruise ship sailing around the Bahamas, and most recently lived four years in Alaska as a member of the armed forces.

What I learned from all of that is that I truly love collecting experiences, and not just my own. I like meeting new people and hearing their stories. I like learning about different cultures and contexts that form peoples’ world views. And I like exploring new and unique places to wonder about all the stories that have passed over our world without being told.

For me – and admittedly a lot of history enthusiasts – classical antiquity is what drew me in. The explosion of civilization and societal advancements mixed with drama that could rival a soap opera is so engaging that it is impossible not to want more. Podcasts, books, and documentaries all paint a vivid picture of a time stocked with astonishing stories.

After enough watching, listening, and reading, I noticed patterns. Specifically, history is almost never documented to the point that it can be considered fact, and because of that it must be responsibly interpreted. This is what led me to consider history as a discipline and eventually a profession. Having the possibility to be an enthusiast, detective, and liaison for humanity’s past is thrilling.