Kayley Luczywo, Integrated Social Studies and History
Kayley Luczywo ‘23 was born into a Malone family, so when she was weighing her college choices, she didn’t necessarily want to follow family tradition. But after attending Discover Day during her junior year of high school, she knew that Malone was where she was meant to be.
“Everyone I met seemed so excited to greet me, and I felt I genuinely belonged,” Luczywo said. “I met Jay Case, professor of history, and had a conversation with him about why I wanted to be a history major. We talked about my favorite historical eras and I knew very quickly that Malone was where I wanted to enroll.”
Luczywo values campus involvement through her service as an admissions ambassador, co-president of the Dead Presidents Society, and as a Resident Assistant (RA) for Woolman Hall.
"Even as a first-year student, I got involved as an admissions ambassador and it was a great way to come out of my shell a little bit and grow in confidence," she said. “And my experiences with the Dead Presidents Society and residence life have given me opportunities to grow in my leadership skills on campus, too. I am so glad to know the Malone community even better as a result.”
As an Integrated Social Studies and History double major, Luczywo plans on becoming a middle/high school social studies teacher after graduation.
“I want to have an impact on future students like my Malone professors have had on me,” she said. “History is the study of humanity, and everyone has a different outlook on leaders and current events, which makes history such an engaging subject! Relating to students is so important, especially with topics that most people claim to dislike, so I want to be a teacher who helps these subject areas come to life.”
During Luczywo’s history senior seminar, she was tasked with investigating the history of Christ Presbyterian Church in Canton.
“My classmates and I really dug into what it means to ‘do history’ well,” she said. “At the church, we searched through archives dating back 200 years, and there were a lot of materials to review! One of the hardest, and most fun, parts of studying history is deciding which parts of your research are essential and what isn’t as necessary for your final product. We learned to comb through artifacts and find what we needed to support our research. History is more than just discussing research– it means digging through little pieces to complete the puzzle! It's like a treasure hunt! It was an amazing experience and Dr. Case was there to help us every step of the way,” she said.
The History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences (HPSS) faculty have all played a crucial part in walking with Luczywo through her Malone journey.
“I love every aspect of being a member of the history department,” she said. “My professors are passionate about what they teach and they are so caring towards us. You can just feel that they want you to succeed. I may be a biased source, but the HPSS department is one of the best at Malone!”