Chapter One: Kris Beasley spends 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, loves every minute of it, and retires as a colonel just as his daughter starts high school.
Chapter Two: Beasley works for Boeing, supporting military aircraft all over the world for nine years. He enjoys it, then retires again.
Chapter Three: Beasley enrolls at ÂÜÀò”șapp (UAH) to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a professional historian. In a major plot point, he receives his Master of Arts in history during ÂÜÀò”șapp commencement ceremonies on Dec. 16, 2024. UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.
âIâm here because I want to continue to learn and grow,â Beasley says. âIâve always wanted to become a professional historian â not sure what Iâll do with it â but Iâve always wanted to be involved in that world.
âUAH had a good reputation from the people I talked to, and a strong military and veterans program. It was convenient and affordable. It just seemed like a really good opportunity to do something Iâve wanted to do most of my life.â
At UAH, Beasley has explored a wide range of historical periods, including the Middle Ages, the Reformation and the 20th century. His work has taken him from ancient Rome to modern Latin America. He says heâs had fun exploring topics that were less familiar to him as well as contributing insights from his own personal experiences.
âIâve been through some of the things that weâve talked about, and that has really proved positive. Iâm interacting with fellow students who are anywhere from a third of my age to half my age, and Iâm getting a lot from them. There are so many thoughtful and articulate young people who are going here. Itâs been a positive two-way interaction.
âAnd the faculty have all been fun. Sometimes we donât always agree, but we always are able to have really good dialogue. Theyâve opened my mind to a lot of things, and theyâve taught me a lot of things. Itâs been a great experience.â
One of Beasleyâs best class experiences led him to an unexpected academic delight.
âIâve always had this fascination for airships, so I picked that topic in my modern Europe class that Dr. Molly Johnson taught. Airships were a major thing in the early 20th century. She gave us the freedom to think and learn. I went into online archives and found all kinds of interesting things. We created these digital timelines that were really fun to do. I want to thank her for everything she and the rest of the history faculty have taught me.â
That project inspired Beasley to take an archives class with Reagan Grimsley, head of in the Salmon Library.
âHe opened my mind to a whole new world. Iâve been working in the archives now for the last year and a half, and I absolutely love it. Iâm working on a collection of aircraft things, which he asked me to do because I have that expertise.
âI never thought Iâd enjoy sitting around in the archives working on a bunch of stuff, but I do. I was just processing some documents from 1920. These are people writing about airplanes before airplanes were really understood very well. Just to be able to see that kind of stuff!â
Beasleyâs enjoying this research so much that itâs sure to play a significant role as he continues to write his third chapter.
Details about the UAH fall 2024 commencement are available on the ÂÜÀò”șapp commencement website.
Contact
Kristina Hendrix
256-824-6341
kristina.hendrix@uah.edu
Julie Jansen
256-824-6926
julie.jansen@uah.edu
