Henry Zent '26

Henry Zent ’26 | Honors History major, Classical Archaeology minor 

Henry Zent ’26 believes studying history makes you a more empathetic person. Growing up in a household that valued learning from the past to create a better present, Zent’s lifelong affection for stories prompted him to pursue his passion in college. With plans to pursue graduate studies and travel the world, Zent hopes to use his love of history to improve communities through public policy. 

How’d you choose Saint Anselm College?

My brother went here and really enjoyed it, so I had a family connection. I liked the smaller size of Saint Anselm and the student-to-faculty ratio was something that really excited me. A couple of my friends go to big schools where classes have 600 students in them, and I knew I wouldn’t succeed in that environment. My brother shared that there were about 20 people in all his classes at Saint Anselm (which is true, unless you’re studying nursing), so that’s why I committed! I loved that I could get to know professors and which I think is one of Saint Anselm’s biggest strengths. 

What was your favorite class?

I took an honors colloquium with about six other students which was great because everyone who was in it wanted to be there. We looked at politics and democracy and observed tons of thinkers all the back to antiquity up until today. It was fantastic because all the students in the class had different experiences and perspectives which made it quite fun. I also took a thesis class where we sat down with the professor and other students and read one another’s thesis projects. It gave us the ability to offer good feedback, and I got to know the other students in the class well! Smaller classes really impact on your overall experience here. 

How did you decide to study history at Saint Anselm?

I've always loved history, and I was basically told to study what you love as an undergrad, and you'll figure out what you want to do afterwards. I grew up in a household that always read history and I have always enjoyed hearing people’s stories. It’s incredible that humans never really change. People make the same mistakes, but we can learn from those mistakes. There’s an infinite number of stories that I don’t know, so I find that I’m always learning something new and interesting. 

What makes the History Department at Saint Anselm special?

It’s not strictly American or European history; it's world history. I’ve taken a Chinese history class, World War II, Greek, Rome—I’ve taken a great variety of courses. Plus, each professor has their own favorite part of history, so they aren’t all the same.

Have you studied abroad at all?

Yes! Since I am a Classical Archaeology minor, I attended an Archaeological Field School dig at a Roman bathhouse in Orvieto, Italy. It’s a bit outside of Rome and there’s been a dig site there for 20 years. It was super interesting because we had to learn about the history of the site and were trying to locate a wall. That was my study abroad, but I’ve been to Germany, Budapest, and Newfoundland. Newfoundland was my favorite place I’ve ever visited because it had a super small fishing village with a great sense of community!

So, you enjoy traveling?

Yes! When you travel, you meet other people, and since I love stories (and people in general), travelling allows me to see the world from a different perspective. I would love to go to Mongolia or Japan and explore other parts of Asia, and I’ve always wanted to visit Brazil. 

How have you stayed involved on the Hilltop?

I played on the Men’s Soccer team which took up most of my time. That was so much fun—I love soccer to death and that it’s a global sport. Tons of my friends were on the team, and it helped me get my act together as a freshman because if you have practice all the time, you need to find time to study. Being a student-athlete at Saint Anselm helped me set a rhythm for myself early into college. 

How do spend your free time?

I like to go on walks around campus, and I’ve been getting into watercolor since I’m trying to do things that don’t involve a screen. I also love reading and hiking in the White Mountains!

What are your postgraduate plans?

After graduating, I plan to start the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at Saint Anselm. With public policy you have to do a lot of research and writing, and it’s a great way to help the community. History is important for any type of policy because you need to know what’s happened in the past to ensure you’re doing the right thing in the present. I’d like to do environmental policy and go into communities to hear people’s stories about how the environment treats specifically agricultural and local farmers. I am interested in learning about the history of their farms, what is happening with their farm now, and create policy based on that. Having studied history has made me prepared to do that with research experience and given me the ability to get a deeper understand of other’s stories. I’m excited, so we’ll see where that lands me.

How have you grown at Saint Anselm?

I used to be pretty bad at public speaking. I’d get jittery and had a problem where my feet wouldn’t stop shaking because I was so nervous. College forced me to practice public speaking through presentations, and over time I learned how to slow down my speech which made me a better public speaker.  This helped me get significantly better at relaying information to others which is an essential skill to have, especially when studying history.

Why would you encourage others to study history?

History gives you a well-rounded education because you look at everything from scientific data to art. Maybe I’m biased, but I believe history is the most interdisciplinary major because you take parts of every other important discipline and attempt to understand a culture, people, or story based on that. Studying history makes you more empathetic because you learn to understand other people’s perspectives, stories, and why they are the way they are. It will also get you used to being wrong sometimes and recognize that you need to question things further. It also makes you a stronger researcher and writer.