Written by Kathryn Ross
History has always held alumni Zachary Fuhr’s fascination. “As a kid, I loved history, especially military history,” he says. “While most kids watched cartoons, I watched historical documentaries.” His passion for military history led Fuhr to enlist in the Army, and today he works as Staff Sergeant of the California National Guard.
After finishing active duty, Fuhr decided to go back to school. “It only made sense to major in the subject I felt most passionate about,” he says. While at APU, Fuhr enjoyed various opportunities to learn and conduct research on historical periods of his choosing. “I remember doing research for a paper, going through the archives at the Nixon Library, and touching and reading reports and papers written and signed off by people I had only read about. I thought it was so cool to be able to physically touch these historical documents.”
In addition to academics, Fuhr’s experience at APU reaffirmed the seriousness of his Christian faith.. “It’s given me meaning,” Fuhr says. “It’s given me the ability to persevere when challenged. Knowing that God has a plan for me gives me strength when facing tough challenges I wouldn’t have had without a Christian-based college education.”
Since graduating from APU in 2017, Fuhr has gone on to California State University Fullerton for his post-graduate work and is completing his Masters of Arts in History this year. “My time at APU made me realize I wanted to pursue an advanced degree in History,” he notes. “Every professor I had was encouraging and the high standards they set in their classes prepared me for success in graduate school.”
Fuhr continues to build on the foundation he received at APU. As a current graduate student and member of the military, he has amassed a number of publications in prestigious journals and conferences. In 2018, his paper “Hot Line Ring: Richard Nixon and the Hot Line Modernization Agreement of 1971” was published in the undergraduate journal, History Matters. In 2019, Fuhr presented his paper, “The United States, Portugal, and the Yom Kippur War,” at the 112th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association. Another paper, “‘Un Travail Policier?’: Revolutionary War Theory and the French Army in Algeria, 1954-1962” is expected to be published in The Welebaethan later this year.
Fuhr offers some advice to current and future undergrads on how to make the most of their APU experience: “Pursue the things that interest you, challenge yourself by stepping outside of your comfort zone, and enjoy your time as a college student.”
For information on how APU supports Veterans, check out our Office of Military and Veteran's Services.
