Bethany Zhao

  

Volume 9 | Issue III | September 2025

The College Preparatory School ’26

California, United States

  

I have always been fascinated by history because of its intersecting and conflicting narratives, which have the power to frame collective memory. As I was learning about World War II, I came across the Kent State shootings. Kent State drew me in because its aftermath explores how those in power shape collective memory by rewriting unrest. Decades later, public blame for the shootings remains contested, largely due to the Nixon administration’s arguably successful efforts to control the narrative. As I was researching the shootings, I was particularly fascinated by Nixon’s and his followers’ choices in crafting such a convincing narrative. I analyzed their choices through Nixon’s carefully selected language in his public speeches and the images his government used in propaganda. Writing for The Schola pushed me to consider evidence that both supported and challenged my own narrative on the shootings, allowing me to experience how the narratives of history are always evolving. Furthermore, I learned to think not only about what happened, but about how and why we remember events the way we do. Outside of writing, I enjoy creating visual art, ice skating, and advocacy work, all of which, just like history, are centered on human interactions. In the future, I hope to continue deepening my understanding of the world through researching and writing about history.