Senior Spotlight: Colin Stanhope (BA ’26, history with a minor in secondary education)
“In addition to learning content knowledge and historical methods that I will use as a teacher, I have developed my analytical and communication skills and have had the opportunity to work in several different communities in Illinois during my degree. I am confident that my humanities education will prepare me well for the demands I will face in my career.” - Colin Stanhope
Awards & Internships
In his time at Illinois, Colin has been a public history intern at the University of Illinois Alumni Center, an undergraduate assistant at the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, and an experience facilitator at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum. As part of his secondary education track, he has been a student teacher at Champaign Central High School, along with field placements at Franklin STEAM Academy and Mahomet-Seymour High School. He has been awarded the Winton U. Solberg Family Scholarship and the LAS Get Experience Scholarship.
RSOs
Colin has been a squad leader and social chair for the Marching Illini, member of Basketball Band along with various other concert bands, and historian and risk management chair for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a music fraternity. He was also a member of the undergraduate studies committee for the history department.
Research interests
His HIST 498 capstone project focused on the intersection of labor history, history of education, and history of gender and sexuality. Colin is also interested in 20th-century US history, social movements, mass culture, and public history, which he hopes to pursue in graduate school one day.
Favorite memory
His favorite memory was studying abroad in Prague and experiencing Czech culture with friends!
Plans after college
Colin plans to teach middle or high school social studies in the Chicago area and eventually pursue a master’s degree in history.