16 years later but finally getting somewhere

Nuremberg Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Hello all,

Again, names John Cadena. For the majority of my life, I have lived in San Antonio. Most of my life, on the west and southside. In 2002 I graduated from McCollum High School (Go Cowboys). Immediately after graduating I enrolled at San Antonio College for summer classes and quickly learned that I was no-where near ready for college. Discouraged by this I decided to follow in my family’s footsteps and joined the military. While in the Army I continued college at the University of Maryland Europe, Cochise College in Arizona, and San Antonio College, finally completing my undergraduate at the University of Incarnate Word.  My interest in Public history primarily stems from my feeling of always enjoying history more when given the opportunity to experience it in living reality. Recounting my years in high school, I can remember that I’ve always loved history but never felt connected to it. For me, all this changed when I was in Europe, Germany to be exact. During this time, with the help of local friends, I was able to walk, stand, breath, and lay in places of historical significance. For me, this is when I realized the importance that physical history has on an individual, culminating in my excitement in learning of the introduction of this program.