Project Reflection

What did you enjoy about this project?

I thoroughly enjoyed analyzing somebody's life in depth, to the point that you understand how important that person was in playing a role in creating opportunities for other people to be successful.

What surprised you about this project?

I was surprised by how consistent every source was that I found. Every source backed up what I had previously learned and there was no conflicting data. Every source truly claimed Clarence Mabry to be a legend, and it made it easier to connect my evidence to prove that.

What was the most challenging aspect of this project, and how did you manage it?

Obviously, back in 1956 when Mabry took charge of the tennis program, the age of digital media was very limited, therefore gathering evidence was much more difficult than I expected. To fix this issue I had to send some emails on where I could find some more Trinity files and other information on the tennis team, and in general I had to be much more specific when using search engines to find what I was looking for

If you could start over, what would you do differently?

I wish I could have conducted more interviews and started earlier in my research process. I began searching online for documents and images which was really tough to extract a lot of information from. I got the bulk of my research for this project from my interview with Butch Newman, which really helped me develop an understanding of this time period and the impact Clarence Mabry had on the team, which is what I really wanted to find out.

What did you learn about history and/or the historical process through this project?

I learned that history is always being written. During the research period I always tried comparing that period of dominance to the Trinity Soccer program that I belong to, and to examine the history that we have set over the last 4 years. The Soccer coach at Trinity is Paul McGinlay, who has been at the helm for 25 years and is the winningest coach across all divisions of NCAA soccer, something puts him in the conversation with Clarence Mabry as being a true Trinity Legend.

What did you learn through this project that can be applied to life outside the classroom?

I learned that no matter what you are studying or researching, it is never a bad thing to have too much information. The more information, the more valid the point you're making is. This can be applied to all aspects of life. Right now I am going through the job search process, and after multiple interviews I have been able to assess what employers want, which is evidence to suggest that you can be successful within their company and the more positive information and evidence I give them to suggest that, the more chance I have of being hired.