Sam Ellyson (he/him) is a junior at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia double majoring in History and Political Science and minoring in Human Rights and Conflict Resolution. He grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia, although he now resides in Currituck, North Carolina when he is not in school. He serves as the event coordinator for the Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, an organization on campus dedicated to raising awareness about human rights abuses throughout the world. Additionally, he is taking prerequisite courses to pursue his Master’s Degree in Education and will teach in Virginia once he graduates. Sam is extremely passionate about history and political science education and likes to stay informed on what is happening in the world. Outside of academia, he loves cats, reading, Taylor Swift, sleeping, watching TV (his favorite TV show is The Golden Girls), and being around loved ones. 

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During his Public History Internship, Sam:

• researched and produced a profile resource kit on Rudolf Brazda for our LGBTQ+ Stories from Nazi Germany initiative;

• developed and tested a classroom-ready activity, "Pins of Protest: A Primary Source Analysis of LGBTQ+ Activism;" (to request access, fill out this form);

• researched and compiled PTLP's resource Action Items for Staying Safe as an LGBTQ+ Person in the United States 

• wrote four thematic essays for PTLP's LEARN page;

• managed and created content for PTLP's Instagram and TikTok accounts;

 

Reflecting on his motivation for joining the PTL Project team, Sam states, "As a gay man and future teacher, the PTLP is very inspiring to me. It is important to me that all of my students are valued and seen in my classroom. One way for me to do that is to ensure that I am teaching a fuller history that includes the stories of people who have similar life experiences to them. History should be taught with the experiences of many, diverse groups of people being examined. Every student should understand that they are entitled to basic human rights and should advocate for themselves. Learning how individuals with similar backgrounds have fought against oppression can inspire future generations of students to do the same if they see that their rights are not being honored."