Becker High School social studies teacher Heather Abrahamson has received a three week National Endowment for the Humanities award to study the Underground Railroad and Abolition in New York.

 

The seminar will take place July 10-29 at Colgate University.

 

“I was made aware of this opportunity by my former history professor (who was also on my M.A. thesis committee) Dr. Jeff Mullins, who works in the history department at SCSU,” said Heather.  “After he told me about this opportunity, I had to apply for a spot.” 

 

Abrahamson is one of 13 who gained the endowment.

 

“The application involved writing an essay of my experiences in research and reasons why I should be chosen,” she said.  “I also had to submit two letters of recommendation.  Dr. Mullins wrote one for me as well as my PhD advisor at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Patricia Avery.”

 

Heather says she has never applied for anything with the NEH, but says she has done some research projects with the Minnesota History Center for National History Day.  

 

“And being accepted into a PhD program at the University of Minnesota is another great ‘acceptance’ piece of my life,” she said.  

 

Research in general is one of the many reasons Abrahamson applied for the program and she expects to use the experience in all of the classes she teaches at Becker High School.

 

“Research is a tough thing for kids and the better I am at research myself, the better I can teach it,” she said.  “Also, being in a PhD program I need to become a research expert. The more practice, the more I can get better.”

 

Heather also teaches a college course called Democratic Citizenship.  In this course, the students study all of the peoples who have fought for and contributed to this country’s democracy. 

 

“One specific group we study are black men and women,” she says.  “In this course we read the slave narratives of Olaudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass and then analyze the ways those documents and those people have helped work towards getting our society to respect and include the all in the ‘all men created’ equal.”  

 

Since abolition was also part of the revolution, the revolutionary generation and the writing of the constitution in general, so Abrahamson is sure that the better her knowledge is of these events, the better she will be able to teach them.  

 

“Plus, I am a historian by nature and I love learning more about history — especially through primary documents,” Heather said.   “What better way to spend three weeks.  I get to do something I personally love that will benefit my job and all of my current and future students. 

 

Heather has been teaching social studies and more specifically United States history and American Government for 23 years at Becker High School.  She also teaches two college level courses — Democratic Citizenship and World History.  She also has worked as an adjunct instructor in the history department at St. Cloud State University.

 

Abrahamson will be living in the dorms at Colgate University and she and her fellow seminaries will be busy every day researching.

 

“We also have ‘out-of -class’ responsibilities at night and on the weekends,” she said. “It will be strange being away from home for that long but I am so looking forward to this. History is my passion!”