Allysa Evans

History

Anyone who thinks of history as a boring recitation of facts should meet Allysa, an articulate, engaged student who sees how history is relevant to every aspect of society today and to our future as well.

In her senior year at San Diego High School in San Diego, California, Allysa was lucky to have had an inspiring history teacher: "Rather than having us memorize facts and dates, he focused on cultural history," she says. "For example, we studied Cuban history and cultural background, so then when we learned about the Bay of Pigs incident, it gave us a better idea of how everything was connected. That is too often neglected in secondary education: cultural history, and the acknowledgment that history is not just one general narrative. This gave us a very strong idea of what world history is."

After she enrolled at UCSC, Allysa's initial spark of interest in history was further developed. "Like my wonderful history teacher in high school, the History Department professors are always looking for student engagement -- your perspective matters to them," she says. "Especially in my concentration, the Americas and Africa, the professors are amazing. They challenge you to really think and put out the best product you can. They say to you, 'Don't just show me that you can get a good grade, but show me what you are thinking, what you are learning.'"

Allysa also helps bring the histories of various groups to life as an actress in Rainbow Theater and the African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT), student theater troupes on campus that focus on the experiences of people of color. "The performances in Rainbow Theater are varied and exciting. They're not just about putting on an entertaining show. They're a way to empower people and to bring up important issues that agitate people and motivate them toward change. AATAT is also an important vehicle for portraying the many histories of African Americans and putting them on stage for people to see."

In fact, Rainbow Theater played a part in Allysa's decision to enroll at UCSC, as well as the student-initiated program Destination Higher Education (DHE). DHE is one of three Student-Initiated Outreach programs offered in spring that all admitted students are invited to participate in. After she was admitted to UCSC, the students in DHE invited her to campus for their weekend-long program in the spring, which included informational workshops and activities. "At DHE, I got to meet African American students at UCSC and see some other aspects of the campus. They showed an excerpt from a Rainbow Theater production, and as soon as I saw that, I knew I wanted to be part of it!" she says. "The student-initiated outreach at UCSC is fantastic. I think it is rare for an institution to have outreach programs that are so good."

Commenting on the transition from her urban environment in San Diego to UCSC's forested campus, Allysa says: "At first it was difficult and weird. I didn't understand what the campus was about. I thought, 'What is it with all these trees and deer?' But now I love the campus. I live off campus, and when I ride the bus up to campus, I just stare out the window and think, 'Wow, it's beautiful! Look at the trees!'"

Perhaps it's not surprising that Allysa's plans for after graduation include conveying the excitement and learning opportunities of theater and/or history to young people. "I want to work with youth, and whether it's through engaging them in theater or history, I want them to feel ownership of their education, to question it, and to add aspects of themselves to it," she says. "That is something I've learned through my experience at UCSC: You must process the learning yourself. I want to give others that experience and see that engagement in them."