Hollis Harris

Hollis Harris is a history Ph.D. student from Nashville, North Carolina

Hometown: Nashville, North Carolina

Year: Expected graduation: 2025

What scholarships did you receive and why did you receive them? How has the financial support impacted your experience at NIU?
I receive financial assistance in the form of a paid graduate assistantship through NIU's history department. I was initially accepted into the M.A. and Ph.D. programs based on the criteria laid out in the Graduate Handbook but received the assistantship by demonstrating suitedness for the position as an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The financial aid offered by my assistantship has certainly helped soothe some of the financial uncertainties that are common for most graduate student workers.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
I have always been interested in some form of history, but distinctly remember wishing I could be a train conductor as a child. Something about them fascinated me. Now, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in history, a much different goal than what young Hollis envisioned.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am in the history Ph.D. program, and I decided to pursue this course of study because once I found it, I did not think my life would be complete without it in some form. I was fortunate enough to begin a career in the field through NIU and hope to continue it for a lifetime.

Tell us about the research you are doing and why it interests you.
I am researching and writing a dissertation about a secret society of Irish Americans known as Clan-na-Gael. They were based in "districts" and "camps" around the U.S. in the early 20th century but were mainly headquartered in cities like New York and Philadelphia. Members of the Clan were oathbound to secrecy and believed that the only way to free Ireland from the British Empire was to do so through armed force. It interests me because they were eventually successful despite themselves, which makes Clan-na-Gael's history useful for understanding how some nations come to be.

How has conducting research strengthened your education and experience at NIU?
Research has been at the very core of my experience at NIU since beginning the M.A. program. Without the ability to do this work through research seminars, independent studies and research trips to New York and Boston, my experience at NIU would be much emptier. I count myself fortunate that research has instead made it much fuller, more enjoyable and undoubtedly worthwhile.

How will your research experience help you in the future?
Good research is at the core of what historians do, and my personal hope is that in the future it will lead to equally good publications that teach people useful things about the past. I also think it will sharpen my ability to educate others about the past through classes, in ways that encourage them to take something useful from learning about history into their daily lives.

Who at NIU has been important to your success doing research and why?
Dr. Sean Farrell, my advisor, has constantly shed light on every bit of darkness that has ever clouded the path ahead. His patience with me has been astounding, and he has exerted such a positive impact on my intellectual development that I do not much care to imagine a life without having met him.

What advice would you give to an incoming student as it relates to research at NIU?
Just get into it. Try. Fail. Move on. Try again. Fail less but keep what works, discard what does not and pile those small wins into big successes. It's nearly impossible to get it right your first time, or even your tenth. So just focus on what is within your control — your level of effort, engagement, the love you pour into it and perhaps most importantly, your ability to receive feedback from others. Knowing when to take good feedback is the surest, quickest path to success as a researcher.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
The solidarities and friendships that one can form when they do the work to reach out into parts of campus that previously seemed inaccessible. The amount we all have in common truly amazes me every time I talk with someone new.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
Yes, I’ve been working with several other graduate students to connect with people across campus for the past few semesters. We are working to build the NIU Graduate Student Association, a campuswide organization open to all graduate students. We envision a GSA built by graduate students, run by graduate students and that works on behalf of all graduate students. We plan social events, foster community and advocate on behalf of all NIU graduate students. Please reach out to us at northern.illinois.gsa@gmail.com if you are interested in joining!

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I am involved with the History Graduate Student Association as its current president and with the Graduate Student Association as a founding member and organizer. The HGSA serves history graduate students specifically, while the Graduate Student Association is a campuswide effort that is still developing. Both have helped stave off the isolation that can come with specialized research, particularly as they have enabled me to make real, lasting friendships within my department and around campus in general.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you succeed? And how?
First and foremost, the NIU Department of History has fostered a truly exceptional graduate experience. The faculty and staff give quite a lot of their time to mentoring students outside the classroom, the courses taught are high quality across the board and the department does everything possible to facilitate graduate work outside NIU.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
As an M.A. student I took Dr. Andy Bruno's Disasters in History Reading Seminar, and it was absolutely one of my favorite courses in my time here at NIU. We discussed a range of different historical themes through "disaster history," or that which focuses specifically on the relationship between disasters in human society. This meant developing a historical perspective on hurricanes, for example, which I never thought I would do before becoming a graduate student. Still my experience has been all the better for it!

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
Absolutely, regular class attendance is the foundation of success in any course. I have completed my coursework at this point, but I always made a point to miss only when absolutely necessary. Sometimes, showing up is the most important part of earning a good grade.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
My favorite place on campus is either the cafe in the bottom floor of Founders Memorial Library, or the walking paths around the lagoon. I enjoy the cafe because it is a good place to meet with friends or colleagues, and the walking paths because my partner and I enjoy walking our dog around them.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
For an undergraduate, I would say to simply balance the costs of higher education against what it will take to become the person you want to be in the long term. Try to find the right combination of the two, because they are not necessarily the same things.

Why is a college education important to you?
Because it seemed like something that was totally foreign and inaccessible to me growing up in rural North Carolina. Most of my friends and I felt like we would end up somewhere close by, with career prospects that helped us scrape by and not much more. College provided a path to a life I could define on my own terms, for my own reasons.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
Surprisingly enough, I try to prioritize physical health and my relationship with my partner first. We build our days around workouts and down time, which forces us to be productive in the intervening periods. This works for us because it helps us see each day for the time we have available to work, not as a whole day without clearly defined limitations on time.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
Through the history department, by word of mouth and by keeping an eye out for emails that have information about campus events and services.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
I spend time with my partner and friends, play with our pets, play videos games like Minecraft and try to set clear boundaries with work.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
As a teaching assistant, I spend quite a lot of time grading, discussing coursework with students in office hours and trying to act as a positive influence in the classroom where I can. My hobbies include working out, hiking, repairing old things, video games and spending time with people I hold dear.