What began as a professor’s encouragement to submit a research paper culminated in national honor society recognition for BYU-Idaho senior Rachael Burchfield, whose work earned the top undergraduate honor in U.S. History at a regional Phi Alpha Theta conference this spring.
Burchfield attended the conference alongside fellow students Madison McDowell and Lizzy Freeman. The regional event invited undergraduate and graduate students to present original research on a variety of topics. After history professor Andrea Radke-Moss encouraged students at a campus Phi Alpha Theta meeting to apply, Burchfield and her classmates submitted their senior thesis papers for review and began preparing.
“We had two weeks to edit, or in my case to write, [our papers],” McDowell said. “It was the most stressful two weeks of my life. ... But I was also so excited.”
Only after their papers were accepted did the significance of the opportunity set in. Presenting original research before students and faculty from across the region was both exciting and daunting.
“I was pretty excited,” Freeman said. “I also was really nervous. ... I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got admitted to [the] conference.”
Burchfield expressed feeling similar pressure.
“It was really scary,” Burchfield said. “I had a lot of imposter syndrome.”
To prepare for the conference and manage those initial doubts, the students participated in a mock conference with History Department faculty, friends, and classmates.
“Two days before ... we had a mock conference,” McDowell said. “We had professors and friends and other students come, and that certainly helped get some of the jitters out of the way.”
Their preparation paid off. Each student presented her research, and Burchfield’s paper earned the conference’s top undergraduate honor in U.S. history. The recognition came as a surprise.
“It was a surprise and I was really excited,” Burchfield said. “It honestly was such a confidence boost because it helped me realize, okay, maybe I can do this.”
Radke‑Moss called the award “a significant accomplishment for our department, our Phi Alpha Theta chapter, and for Rachael personally.”
The experience also reinforced the value of faculty encouragement and academic communities that students can find at BYU-Idaho.
“Her encouragement kept me going,” McDowell said of Radke‑Moss. “[She reminded] me that I’m a historian and a good writer, and that I could put together a paper for a conference in two weeks.”
Freeman spoke highly of her time participating in Phi Alpha Theta meetings at BYU-Idaho and encouraged other students to invest in the resources available to them.
“Take advantage of the communities that you can find at BYUI in your niche topics, in your interests,” she said. “Find your people, and if you're given an opportunity to present a paper, don't be afraid.”
Burchfield remarked on the importance of pursuing such opportunities, especially when it seems difficult.
“Even if it's uncomfortable,” she said, “just put yourself out there and try things that seem hard.”