A Note from Ms. Smith, Grace's Mentor

Grace has a strong desire to study history. More specifically, Grace has and interest in both American and Russian history. As an avid reader and researcher, she nourishes her hunger for historical knowledge by reading books and viewing videos and documentaries.

Just recently, Grace became captivated by the book, "And The Dead Shall Rise", which tells the story of the murder of Mary Phagan and the lynching of Leo Frank, written by Steve Oney. She was further motivated to view the film, "The People v. Leo Frank", written and directed by Ben Loeterman. The story compelled Grace to continue her exploration of the racial, religious, regional and class prejudices in the early years of the 20th century. She later selected this topic to further develop into a research paper for one of her high school assignments.

"Empire of the Tsar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia", written by the Marquis de Custine, is another example of a thought-provoking book which captured Grace's attention. Her exposure to Russian autocracy through this text has fueled her craving to seek out more information about the many mysteries and injustices deeply rooted within the history of the Russian government.