The Marshall and E.J. Sprague Scholarship was established in honor of the Spragues, who for generations served the people of the Pikes Peak Region and delighted in documenting and preserving the area’s rich heritage. The scholarship is intended to recognize students who show a dedication toward and appreciation of the study of history and is made possible through an endowment to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Foundation in honor of the Spragues. Each year one $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a high school student competing in the Colorado Springs Regional History Day competition and is intended for college-related expenses.
The Museum is fortunate to have wonderful volunteers to support the Programs Department in reviewing applications and selecting finalists. This year, Lynn Barber, Museum Education Volunteer, and Nancy Bernard, a new addition to the Museum Board and Programs Committee, assisted Meg Poole, CSPM Program Coordinator, in selecting the scholarship recipient. After much lively debate, the committee chose Rachel Lewis, a 9th grader from The Village High School. Rachel submitted an individual performance project titled, “Women’s Right to Vote Came Down to a Note.” In this brief and energetic performance, Rachel effectively interpreted the role a single letter, from a mother to a son, played in helping to pass the 19th Amendment. In addition to depicting Harry T. Burn (the recipient of his mother’s letter and young Tennessee lawmaker), Lewis shared the story of suffrage through political organizer, Carrie Chapman Catt.
Rachel first got involved in History Day her 8th grade year, where she was invited to take her project all the way Nationals. Even though it is not required in 9th grade, she had such a positive experience last year, that she decided to give it another go. Her favorite part of developing the project was sorting out all of the small details. Thoughtful choices in her props and costumes, such as her blue dress inspired by Catt, helped to tell the story. Lewis also creatively used media. Sound recordings allowed her to interact with other characters, even in an solo performance.
"I've always thought of acting as a way to edutain - educate and entertain. There is a really famous musical called 'Hamilton' and it's based on the American Revolutionary War, but they sing in it and I was inspired by that and how much influence that has had. Before that musical nobody knew who Alexander Hamilton was, and I'm hoping to do that same thing today with notable names like Harry T. Burn and Carrie Catt."
Students can choose from a variety of formats for their chosen projects, but Lewis was uniquely drawn to the performance category, “I’ve always thought of acting as a way to “edutain” – educate and entertain. There is a really famous musical called ‘Hamilton’ and it’s based on the American Revolutionary War, but they sing in it and I was inspired by that and how much influence that has had. Before that musical nobody knew who Alexander Hamilton was, and I’m hoping to do that same thing today with notable names like Harry T. Burn and Carrie Catt.” Part of the goal of the History Day program is to challenge students to conduct quality research and interpret both primary and secondary sources. Lewis had a favorite resource for her project, “The letter had a lot of impact on me. It was just so heartfelt. You could see that Burn’s care as a mother is illustrated on to the note. I had to paraphrase it in (my presentation), but it starts out as ‘Dear Son, we have had nothing but rain since you left’, and then it goes on to convince him to vote for women’s suffrage. That’s the part that really hit Harry T. Burn and eventually changed his decision.”
Even though she is just a freshman in high school, Lewis already has big plans for the future, “Since I was a child I always wanted to become a doctor and recently I have been thinking of being a pediatrician because I’ve known so many doctors that have had an amazing effect on me when I was a child and I want to be that for somebody else.” When asked what she would say to other young people who may not love studying the past, she said she would encourage them to “find their forte” – “dive in and find what you’re passionate about.”