Grove City College student Ben Leavitt ’16, of Grove City, Pa, presented an academic paper at the recent 2016 Phi Alpha Theta Biennial Convention.

Leavitt shared his work on the family in 17th century New Hampshire at the history honorary society’s meeting last month in Orlando, Fla. Leavitt said he enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity it offered.

“This daunting task – presenting my paper to a room of strangers from across the country – required me more than ever to refine my thoughts and to speak as a historian should: with clarity and brevity, realizing that I still know very little,” Leavitt said. “These national conferences, because they feature presentations from across the academic spectrum, are wonderful experiences for students who, like me, are interested in graduate education.”

Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history. The society has over 350,000 members and 860 local chapters, including one on Grove City College’s campus. Its mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. They bring students and teachers together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.

For more information on the Department of History at Grove City College: www.gcc.edu.hist.