Introducing the 2024-2025 Student Ambassador

We are delighted to introduce Krystal Tan as the 2024-2025 Student Ambassador for the History Department. She works closely with Dr. Dan Watkins, our Undergraduate Program Director, in recruiting prospective students and outreach to current Baylor students. Krystal shared with us about her experience as a Student Ambassador, her future plans, and her future projects at Baylor.

What do you do as a Student Ambassador and how does this position impact the Department of History?

My primary role as a Student Ambassador, as I understand it, is to raise excitement and interest in the major itself! I get to help introduce students to the history department, which is a truly unique and personal place, while also assisting students to see that the major is a practical but also extremely fun and interactive area of study. 

What are your future hopes post-graduation?

I aim to take a year between Baylor and law school, during which I will study for and take the LSAT and get experience in the legal field to help better solidify my goals in law school and my legal career. I hope to become an international lawyer and move to D.C. to work on foreign policy – specifically African foreign policy. 

What has been your favorite history class at Baylor?

So far, my favorite class is actually one that I am taking right now—Napoleonic Europe with Dr. Watkins. It has been a lot of fun getting to focus on one very specific topic, learn all of the different angles and debates surrounding such a huge figure in history, and challenge some of the commonly held assertions about Napoleon and the Napoleonic Empire.

Before taking my current class, I had the opportunity to take The U.S. in Global Perspective with Dr. Sam Young, where we focused in on conspiracy theories. This was my first history class at Baylor, and it quickly made me realize how dynamic and engaging studying history could be. One moment that stands out was when Dr. Young took us to the Armstrong Browning Library, where we worked directly with primary sources to write papers on anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. This hands-on experience brought history to life in a way that felt interactive and meaningful. Dr. Young’s encouragement, especially for us first- and second-year students who were initially overwhelmed by the challenge of interpreting historical materials, was so encouraging and helpful. This experience made me appreciate the vibrancy of the history department and sparked my interest in the field.

What upcoming projects are you excited to be working on as the Student Ambassador?

I have been loving working on a project that will allow us to better reach non-history major students who take HIS 1300 and discover that they love history and maybe want to pursue this area of study further! More information to come! 

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Krystal better. She is a great example of the talented and dedicated students we have in our department.