Larry Skillin
Indiana, PA
Major: History
Minor: Religious Studies
Larry Skillin was born and
raised in Indiana, PA. Like many high school students, his plans
were to "go away" to college, and so he began his studies
at one of the Big East Universities. Feeling that he just didn't
"fit in," and drawn back to Indiana by family ties,
he decided to give IUP and the Honors College a try. It may have
been one of the best decisions Larry Skillin -- now studying at
Oxford University as part of the Honors College abroad program
-- has ever made.
"Quite honestly, the Honors College
has far surpassed any of my wildest dreams in terms of providing
a fabulous education and once in a lifetime opportunities to be
successful as an undergraduate. Although I didn't know enough
about it to choose it at the time, the Honors College has been
an incredibly wonderful experience for me since then. I view the
Honors College as an incredible unfolding dream. It is so new
that fresh ideas abound in terms of coursework, internship and
study abroad opportunities, communal living, and any other thing
that seems like it will help us succeed. It also greatly benefits
from active financial support from above. That is especially true
when compared to the other state system universities."
The comparison, Larry Skillin found, was surprising
not only in what the Honors College offered, but also what he
soon experienced in IUP's History Department.
"I think the tight job market for
history professors has really helped IUP. There are several very
talented, young historians who have recently joined the department
as active researchers and writers. They bring a lot of fresh insight
to the fields that I have studied with them. Combine that with
the wisdom, intelligence, and incredibly clear thinking of Dr.
Cashdollar and you have a great department. The professors here
also do a good job of making their majors write. You can’t
walk away with a college degree based on bubble tests, or filling
in the blanks. And I have had unprecedented access to the professors
at IUP. In my brief time at a Big East School, I never could have
imagined actually speaking with a professor. A graduate Teaching
Assistant, sure -- but never the big wig. At IUP, I have had the
chance to really meet professors who have helped shape my thinking
as a historian and who know me well enough to tell me when I’m
being stupid and congratulate me when I succeed. That’s really
nice."
Mix that with the Honors College and you have
a winning combination.
"The Honors College is an incredibly
personalized experience that drives you to succeed in your endeavors.
It also matches your efforts. The harder you push to accomplish
your goals, the more the Honors College offers experiences and
challenges that will help you achieve your dreams. It also has
wonderfully lofty goals. I feel comfortable thinking that through
the Honors College I will make my first steps towards becoming
the greatest early American historian of the next generation.
Somebody has to do it, right? Seriously, thanks to this program,
and those history professors, I have been to three different academic
conferences in history. Each of them were great opportunities
to read brand new papers on the cutting edge of early American
historical research as well as being great ways to network with
top level professors. To give one example, I met Princeton’s
early American historian at a conference and he has since offered
to meet with me at Princeton’s campus as I visit graduate
schools when I return from Oxford."
Because of these experiences, Larry Skillin
feels well grounded when it comes to thoughts about graduate school
and a life career in teaching history.
"I think I have a pretty good picture
of what it means to be a professional historian today. Part of
that has come through recognizing what types of books and articles
are produced at these conferences and the types of research networks
and friendships that are forged at these professional meetings.
More important, however, has been my close relationship with several
professors in the department who have taken many of their office
hours to chat with me about the realities of being a history professor.
I have considered graduate work in theology and law, but my dream
job would be to have an endowed professorship in history at a
major research university, preferably on the East Coast. That’s
not asking for too much, is it?"
After a summer in Edinburgh, Scotland as part
of one Honors abroad program, and his current year of study at
Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, England, Larry Skillin is already
planning a variety of further studies abroad.
"I would like to study the transfer
of colonial administration from French to British hands following
the French and Indian War. I think all this is within my reach
and beginning this year at Oxford I can work to make those dreams
a reality."
Larry Skillin credits much of his self-confidence
and readiness to take on the world of research and academics to
the basic questions in the Honors College core curriculum.
"Those questions were the kind that
people spend entire scholarly careers trying to master only to
learn that they are no closer to an answer when they retire than
when they began their studies. Those are the really fun ones,
and those that are ultimately important for us as we construct
meaning in life. With a soft spot in my heart for theology, those
are the types of questions that I love. Less important, perhaps,
than the questions themselves, because there are limitless variations
of questions of deep significance, was the way in which we learned
to approach the questions. Particularly important is the interdisciplinary
approach and the focus on revising arguments through discussion
and critique. Good stuff."
For Larry, one particular question remains
with him now, and perhaps forever.
"The meaning and existence of
God is and always will be of ultimate importance for me. There
are all sorts of tricky implications that go along with it. It
is made much more fun by the fact that I love liberal theistic
conceptions that really fly in the face of traditional evangelical
Christian orthodoxy and pseudo-stylish mushy agnosticism at the
same time. That way I am assured of being able to get into a good
scrape with someone when I feel the need to fight."
Yet with all Larry Skillin's accomplishments
and achievements at the Honors College and IUP, there's one that
pleases him the most.
"Finding a way to thrive while balancing
the responsibilities of being a father, husband and student. I
know that I have fallen short of expectations in each of those
roles at various times and in various ways, but on the whole I
give more than everything I have to make those roles work. I am
incredibly busy, but my heart overflows with joy as I start each
day. It’s good to be alive."
Ask Larry Skillin his best advice for a high
school student looking to find the right program, major, college
or university and he'll tell you to ask one more truly important
question, a question he's answered again and again for himself
at IUP and the Honors College.
"Just ask yourself: Can this place
make my dreams come true?"
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