Historian and Writing Coach (Personal Statements, etc.) - PhD. 2024

Ben W.

English

I am currently in the final year of my PhD program at The University of Texas at Austin, where I also completed my undergraduate education. During the last decade, I developed expertise in a wide variety of subjects in the humanities and social sciences because of my interdisciplinary approach to my studies. As an undergraduate, I triple majored in Government, History, and the self-created major of African Development Studies through the Humanities Honors Thesis Program in the College of Liberal Arts, where I was also a member of Plan 1 Honors (the humanities equivalent of the more well-known Plan 2 program). I also obtained minors in Philosophy and African & African Diaspora Studies, as well as a certifications in Human Rights & Social Justice and European Studies. In May 2013, I graduated a Dean's Distinguished Graduate (one of twelve graduating students selected annually for the College of Liberal Arts' highest honor). By August of the same year, I enrolled in my current program to pursue a degree in African History, with a minor in Global History. I will defend my dissertation on the history of sexual health and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of this calendar year. I always try to emphasize investing in the education of others as my personal form of gratitude for the many opportunities that propelled my own learning. Mentoring my best friend to the point that I felt his own graduate accomplishments surpassed my own has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life thus far. I possess a profound passion for guiding others to that "lightbulb moment", and I have a long history of experience doing so. My qualifications include: coaching debate and public speaking for over five years, both privately and at Westlake High School in Texas; teaching thousands of undergraduate history students at the University of Texas over the course of five years; mentoring several undergraduate thesis students; designing course curriculum and teaching aids; functioning as an Undergraduate Writing Mentor for a large

Philosophy

I hold a minor in philosophy from the University of Texas, and my own dissertation work heavily utilizes poststructuralism, identity politics, and postcolonial theory. I have over thirty published pieces of research, many of them featuring deep philosophical questions and theory-heavy analysis. I also have extensive experience teaching both philosophy and writing during the past decade.

Political Science

I am currently in the final year of my PhD program at The University of Texas at Austin, where I also completed my undergraduate education. During the last decade, I developed expertise in a wide variety of subjects in the humanities and social sciences because of my interdisciplinary approach to my studies. As an undergraduate, I triple majored in Government, History, and the self-created major of African Development Studies through the Humanities Honors Thesis Program in the College of Liberal Arts, where I was also a member of Plan 1 Honors (the humanities equivalent of the more well-known Plan 2 program). I also obtained minors in Philosophy and African & African Diaspora Studies, as well as a certifications in Human Rights & Social Justice and European Studies. In May 2013, I graduated a Dean's Distinguished Graduate (one of twelve graduating students selected annually for the College of Liberal Arts' highest honor). By August of the same year, I enrolled in my current program to pursue a degree in African History, with a minor in Global History. I will defend my dissertation on the history of sexual health and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of this calendar year. I always try to emphasize investing in the education of others as my personal form of gratitude for the many opportunities that propelled my own learning. Mentoring my best friend to the point that I felt his own graduate accomplishments surpassed my own has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life thus far. I possess a profound passion for guiding others to that "lightbulb moment", and I have a long history of experience doing so. My qualifications include: coaching debate and public speaking for over five years, both privately and at Westlake High School in Texas; teaching thousands of undergraduate history students at the University of Texas over the course of five years; mentoring several undergraduate thesis students; designing course curriculum and teaching aids; functioning as an Undergraduate Writing Mentor for a larg

Public Speaking

Prior to my undergraduate studies, I competed in speech and debate at the national level, with substantial success. I was repeatedly invited to highly exclusive and intensive Round Robins, regularly progressed to elimination rounds at tournaments, won tournaments, and repeatedly qualified for national tournaments. Upon graduating high school, I was hired as a consultant for Westlake High School, where I coached for five years, in addition to coaching individual competitors privately. I was a highly regarded judge at tournaments during this time. In more recent years, my academic research led me to present in a more formal, non-competitive setting at conferences all over the world.

World History

I am currently in the final year of my PhD program at The University of Texas at Austin, where I also completed my undergraduate education. During the last decade, I developed expertise in a wide variety of subjects in the humanities and social sciences because of my interdisciplinary approach to my studies. As an undergraduate, I triple majored in Government, History, and the self-created major of African Development Studies through the Humanities Honors Thesis Program in the College of Liberal Arts, where I was also a member of Plan 1 Honors (the humanities equivalent of the more well-known Plan 2 program). I also obtained minors in Philosophy and African & African Diaspora Studies, as well as a certifications in Human Rights & Social Justice and European Studies. In May 2013, I graduated a Dean's Distinguished Graduate (one of twelve graduating students selected annually for the College of Liberal Arts' highest honor). By August of the same year, I enrolled in my current program to pursue a degree in African History, with a minor in Global History. I will defend my dissertation on the history of sexual health and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of this calendar year. I always try to emphasize investing in the education of others as my personal form of gratitude for the many opportunities that propelled my own learning. Mentoring my best friend to the point that I felt his own graduate accomplishments surpassed my own has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life thus far. I possess a profound passion for guiding others to that "lightbulb moment", and I have a long history of experience doing so. My qualifications include: coaching debate and public speaking for over five years, both privately and at Westlake High School in Texas; teaching thousands of undergraduate history students at the University of Texas over the course of five years; mentoring several undergraduate thesis students; designing course curriculum and teaching aids; functioning as an Undergraduate Writing Mentor for a large

Writing

I am currently in the final year of my PhD program at The University of Texas at Austin, where I also completed my undergraduate education. During the last decade, I developed expertise in a wide variety of subjects in the humanities and social sciences because of my interdisciplinary approach to my studies. As an undergraduate, I triple majored in Government, History, and the self-created major of African Development Studies through the Humanities Honors Thesis Program in the College of Liberal Arts, where I was also a member of Plan 1 Honors (the humanities equivalent of the more well-known Plan 2 program). I also obtained minors in Philosophy and African & African Diaspora Studies, as well as a certifications in Human Rights & Social Justice and European Studies. In May 2013, I graduated a Dean's Distinguished Graduate (one of twelve graduating students selected annually for the College of Liberal Arts' highest honor). By August of the same year, I enrolled in my current program to pursue a degree in African History, with a minor in Global History. I will defend my dissertation on the history of sexual health and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of this calendar year. I always try to emphasize investing in the education of others as my personal form of gratitude for the many opportunities that propelled my own learning. Mentoring my best friend to the point that I felt his own graduate accomplishments surpassed my own has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life thus far. I possess a profound passion for guiding others to that "lightbulb moment", and I have a long history of experience doing so. My qualifications include: coaching debate and public speaking for over five years, both privately and at Westlake High School in Texas; teaching thousands of undergraduate history students at the University of Texas over the course of five years; mentoring several undergraduate thesis students; designing course curriculum and teaching aids; functioning as an Undergraduate Writing Mentor for a large