When he began studying at Tyndale, Evan Kantel’s major was in history and global studies. His plan to pursue a career in law soon changed as he discovered he had a keen interest in psychology. Yet as Evan has learned, one great way to understand the human mind is to trace its past, to delve into history, and to explore its bearing on society. 

“I kept taking history courses as electives and realized I could declare it as my minor. I like to tell people I’m interested in figuring out why things are the way they are, and I do that by learning people’s psychology and history,” Evan remarks. 

When the opportunity to take Dr. Brad Faught’s dedicated course “Winston Churchill: His Life, Times, Leadership” arose, Evan took the leap. “I thought it would be interesting because of how intriguing a character Churchill was. I knew this was Dr. Faught’s specialty. He has written a couple books about Churchill, so I thought it would be a unique opportunity to have a professor teach on his specialty subject,” he notes.    

Evan not only developed a strong appreciation for Winston Churchill and his legacy of valour, but he also excelled, obtaining a financial award from the International Churchill Society Canada for the highest academic achievement in the course. 

“I think it’s really encouraging because it shows how far my writing has come,” he remarks. “I was not the greatest writer in my first few semesters, but over time I have worked a lot on how to write a good history paper and it’s cool to have an achievement to point to like this one.”

Evan considers himself a “Churchillian.” He believes that it is important to recognize Churchill’s impact on the 20th century. “There were several times during his life when he could have given up, whether it be after his dismissal during the First World War, his lost years in the ’30s, or the beginning of the Second World War,” says Evan. “Instead, he persevered, and during World War II refused to surrender even when the situation seemed hopeless. I think this is something we can learn from: not to surrender to evil, regardless of the circumstances.” 

Dr. Brad Faught, Professor of History and Global Studies and Chair of the Department of History and Global Studies, reflects, “Churchill was an undaunted defender of human freedom, especially against all forms of tyranny and authoritarianism. I would say that it is the power an individual person has not only to have an impact on the course of history, but to shape it in particular ways, either for good or ill.”

Evan applauds Dr. Faught’s mastery and perceptive style of teaching. “I love to hear about Dr. Faught’s personal stories in his lectures. His personal anecdotes about some of the people he has met and how they connect to the topic are super cool to hear,” he says. “He always includes a movie or some kind of historical film as part of his courses to give everyone a visual companion to accompany the lectures.”

“At the end of the course we were discussing Churchill’s legacy and the modern conversations around him. Dr. Faught said something that really stuck with me, something along the lines of, ‘so many people are quick to jump on a podcast and share an opinion on a subject, but I think not enough people will take the time to sit down and read about a subject first.’ I think this made me think about how I approach different subjects, and that I should be sure to learn about a topic before I form an opinion and speak on it.”

To fellow students who seek to excel in their studies, Evan gives this advice:

Evan is grateful for the scholarship and to Dr. Faught for the support he has shown him throughout his years as an undergraduate student. He has applied for a few master’s programs, including the Tyndale MA for Clinical Counselling. He hopes to be accepted into the program and has strong ambitions to become a therapist or a counsellor and perhaps obtain a doctorate. History will undoubtedly continue to play a part in Evan’s story.