Master in History graduate follows her passion into the past, and across the world

Early on in her undergraduate program at Washington State University, Alicia Callahan stumbled across the field of World War II history through a class on the Holocaust.

That experience sparked a new passion for her — one she chased to Central Washington University at the recommendation of one of her professors.

“CWU wasn’t even on my radar, but he mentioned it to me and told me what a great department it was,” said Callahan, who grew up in Royal City. “After I met everyone, I’ve come to appreciate how small it is, too. Getting all that one-on-one time with my professors and peers has helped me develop closer bonds with everyone.”

Initially nervous about settling in to a new community, Callahan quickly discovered that she had nothing to worry about.

“I quickly realized that I was the only member of my cohort who wasn’t already a CWU alum, but I never once felt like it,” she said. “I was immediately welcomed in and have experienced nothing but friendship and support from everyone around me. I genuinely cannot imagine getting my master’s degree anywhere else, just based on the friendships I’ve made here.”

As part of her educational journey at CWU, Callahan had the opportunity to travel to Normandy, France, for the 79^th anniversary of D-Day, alongside 43 surviving veterans of that pivotal conflict that led to the end of WWII. Her connection with that group of war heroes ended up forming the basis for her master’s thesis, which centers around the oral histories associated with WWII.

“I realized that, despite the fact that I had studied history for four years, I didn’t know a thing about their actual lived experiences,” Callahan said. “That’s when I got really passionate about collecting the oral histories of veterans, and I felt like Central was the perfect place to do that.”

Callahan was able to apply for funding for the project, which allowed her to travel the country and visit with the veterans she had befriended in Normandy, interviewing them to capture the stark realities of a global conflict rapidly drifting out of the public consciousness.

“I argue that there are three spheres of memory: public, popular, and private,” she said. “What most people know about WWII is popular memory. In that, there are these strong themes of bravery, unity, and camaraderie, but in the private memories of the men who actually fought, it remains the worst experiences of their lives. I wanted to add that nuance to the discourse surrounding the war.”

Traveling to meet with the veterans in person, as opposed to just holding the meetings virtually, was crucial to the project’s success.

“When you’re talking to them, it’s not as simple as just asking them how World War II was,” Callahan said. “We’re talking about the worst experiences of their entire lives, their regrets, and their hardships. That’s something you really need that human connection for — to look them in the eye — and I’m just really grateful that I was able to do that.”

Now that she has successfully defended her thesis, Callahan looks forward to continuing her work in unraveling the secrets of WWII wherever life takes her. In reflecting on her time at CWU, she finds that she has grown not only as a scholar, but as a person.

“I was really close with my professors and advisors during my undergraduate degree, but here, I got introduced to a whole new plethora of knowledge that I wouldn’t have otherwise if I hadn’t met the incredible staff and students of Central,” Callahan said. “It has matured me, in a way, and I’ve gotten better at communicating as a result. Ultimately, the way Central taught me to ask questions has been a huge help in my thesis.”

•••••

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of CWU graduation profiles that will appear on Central Today and social media this spring and summer.