My name is Thomas Bush. I’m a sophomore at the University of Mary Washington, majoring in Historic Preservation. I’ve always enjoyed learning about history, more specifically, local history. It always interested me in history class; we were learning so that the next generation wouldn’t lose the importance of some historical information. I thought this was very important to ensure that we did not repeat the same mistakes that were made in the past.
In high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I grew up. I took a couple of carpentry classes in high school and really enjoyed them, which made me think that I should go to trade school, but I still wanted to go to college to get a diploma. Early on in my senior year of high school, I went to visit Mary Washington and discovered their historic preservation department. After learning a little more about it, it sounded like what I wanted to do. They told me I could either go into the museum side of historic preservation or go into more of the architectural side where there would be a lot more hands-on work and a lot less of sitting behind a desk. This piqued my interest; I could go to college and put my carpentry skills to use! So I had a decision to make, I was between trade school and Mary Washington. Later on in my senior year, I found out that my carpentry teacher was one of the few people in my area who did historic preservation. So when I told him that I was interested in historic preservation, he took me under his wing. Whenever I would finish a project early or didn’t have anything to do in his class, he would show me a new skill. One time he brought in an old window window from a house he had been working on. He taught me how to reglaze a window the way it would’ve been done when it was originally made. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was that my teacher shared the same interests as I do. Through his guidance, I was able to solidify my decision to attend The University of Mary Washington and pursue a degree in historic preservation.
Outside of school and classes, I am a proud member of the UMW men’s rugby team. I enjoy the challenge it provides as well as working with my teammates to strive for success. Growing up, I was a part of several swim organizations. While I did enjoy swimming, it was more of an individual sport. I enjoy rugby a lot more because I am on the field working together with my team instead of cheering them on from the edge of the pool. When I’m at home, on break, or getting some free time at school, you can find me fishing on the lake, river, or canal. It’s a great way to pass the time and something I really enjoy doing. If I ever got stressed out over the summer with work or any other problem I’d take half an hour and go down to my local lake. There’s something very peaceful about standing by yourself on the bank with nothing but a fishing rod in your hand. Now and then you see another angler passing by, it’s nice to talk about the shared interest of fishing and discuss what different species you have caught. I would have never found some of my favorite fishing locations without those interactions on the water.
Away from the classroom, field, and water, I also value the time I spend with my family. I have two brothers; Will and Matty. Will is in his senior year at James Madison University majoring in psychology. Matty is a junior at James Madison High School, the same high school from which both Will and I graduated. My mom works as a chemistry professor and my dad is a patent attorney. Through thick and thin my parents have always been my biggest supporters and they would always be there for me. Something I admired about them is whenever I had trouble deciding on something, they would give me guidance but never make a decision for me. When I didn’t know what to do after high school my dad told me there was no right or wrong answer and that he would support me with whatever decision I made. My mom would always be the first person to help me with my science homework and jokingly try to influence me to pursue a degree in science. Overall my family has been a vital part of not only my academic success but my general success throughout life.
