Family Traditions Inspire First-Gen Student to Contribute to Public Understanding of History

Jenna Lugo (G’29) always knew she wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in history. Growing up, she would watch history documentaries with her family and visit local historical societies. However, she noted that throughout secondary education she struggled to see where she fit into the history she was learning as the daughter of an immigrant mother and American father.

In her junior year at Pennsylvania State University, Lugo was selected to be a McNair Scholar, a prestigious program designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through research and scholarly activities. She spent that summer writing and presented a history research project on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in history and political science, Lugo applied and was accepted into the Ph.D. in history program at Georgetown. She chose Georgetown over other schools because of the wealth of resources available in Wasington, DC, the history of the city and the kindness she felt from the faculty and staff in the department. 

Lugo was also nominated for the Patrick Healy Graduate Fellowship, which is helping to support her early academic career. The fellowship recruits a handful of graduate students each year who want to pursue a career in academia and whose life experiences contribute to the diversity of perspectives at Georgetown.

“I’m hoping that in the future I can emulate what historians are doing now by telling stories of marginalized people and using them as the pivotal character in the story, so that young women of color who are interested in history, or just interested in learning about their own history, can find that somewhere,” said Lugo.

Producer and Contributor of History

Lugo’s academic interests originally focused on World War II and the history of the 20th century. However, after taking a class in undergrad on the Civil War, she shifted her interests to the history of the Civil War and stories of marginalized groups in the 19th century. Then, when Lugo read The Slave’s Cause by Manisha Sinha, she was completely captivated.

“Sinha’s work focuses on people of color, and how they shaped their own history was really inspiring to me,” said Lugo. “I hope that I can emulate her in my historical practices and written work.”

While writing her undergrad thesis, several professors mentored her on practical applications of being a historian, including how to conduct archival research using keyword searches in databases, receive and incorporate feedback to become a better collaborator, and manage her time on larger, more complex projects.

At Georgetown, she aims to continue producing research surrounding Black abolitionists’ conversations on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act outside the United States, building off her research paper for the McNair Scholars Program on Frederick Douglass and the rhetoric he used in his newspaper responding to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act, Lugo notes, “overrode the Missouri Compromise which prohibited slavery north of the 36º 30′ latitude line. It allowed states to vote on the issue of slavery opening the door for the potential expansion of slavery in the 19th century United States.”

Now, as a Ph.D. student, Lugo is starting to see herself more as a producer and contributor to history rather than a consumer of information.

Future Dreams to Inspire

Lugo’s dream is to inspire young women of color to seek out and learn more about their history, just as she was once inspired by Tiya Miles’ book, All That She Carried. 

“As a daughter of immigrant parents and a first-generation student, I struggled to see where I fit into the history that I was learning,” said Lugo. “With many books on enslavement being published now, All That She Carried tells stories of enslaved people in a creative way that is interesting to me.” 

As a historian, Lugo wants to follow in the footsteps of authors like Miles and Sinha, writing about the history of marginalized families. She wants to tell these stories from a historical perspective and context, but with accessible and relatable language for the general public.

“I have family who are interested in history, but they do find reading history books difficult and challenging to get through,” notes Lugo. “It is important to have books that reach audiences who are not going to read books full of historical jargon.” 

Alongside publishing her work, Lugo hopes to get a tenured position in an academic setting or work in the public sector, like at a museum or the DC Smithsonian.

Lastly, Lugo shares this piece of advice for aspiring historians who wish to enter the same field and share similar goals: “Your goals are doable and realistic. If you are excited about it, there is no reason not to pursue your dream.” 

Connect with Jenna on LinkedIn.