Contributors >> Kuhn [Corrigan], Wendy ('00)
Biographical statement (February 2009)
After graduating from Lehigh in 2000, Wendy Kuhn (now Wendy Corrigan) pursued her Master's Degree in School Counseling from Hofstra University. She graduated from Hofstra's program in spring 2002 and began work as a case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island that fall. In fall 2003, Wendy began working part-time as a high school guidance counselor. She accepted a full-time position in her current school district in August 2005, and she is now a tenured high school guidance counselor in the middle of her sixth year.
Reflection
The interesting thing about this course and my project on The Killing Fields for me is how, at different points in my life and my history, my views and reflections on the same historical events can change. In looking back at my issue essay, I am making the argument that Americans can know the ugliness of our history and yet still feel pride and nationalism. I still agree with this sentiment. One thing that has changed for me, however, is my current opinion that our educational system is more transparent in presenting the "real" history of our country than I believed it was in the past. Perhaps when I was in elementary school in the 1980s, my textbooks and teachers focused more exclusively on the positive aspects of American history than they do today, or perhaps that was just my perception at the time. But, with resources like the Internet and the History Channel (which I love), I feel that the information about our checkered past is more easily accessible and, therefore, more present in our educational system. In speaking with teachers and students in my school, I often hear reference to our nation's triumphs as well as our faults and foibles. Students still feel pride in our country, but they are also acutely aware of our shortfalls. This idea of accepting our past, learning from it, and moving forward was highlighted throughout President Obama's historic inaugural speech. I am proud of where we are as a country today, and I am not sure I felt that same sense of pride when I originally worked on this project in the late 1990s.
Another aspect of this project that is still with me today is a love for historic films. I just finished watching The Longest Day, a 1962 film about D-Day, and I am currently re-watching the film with remarks from a UCLA professor regarding the historical context. My husband and I visited the beaches of Normandy this past summer, and it is amazing to me that the enormity (and horrors) of that day can be kept alive through film. For me, historical films are so important because they can pique the interest of an unsuspecting viewer and generate thought and exploration regarding events in our history. I am happy that I was able to be a part of this project, and I look forward to watching this "experiment" continue to grow in the future.
