HERSTORY MONTHLY
The Objective of This Inquiry
This project is my way of paying closer attention to how women appear in the historical record, and how often they are pushed to the margins or left out entirely. I’m interested in who gets remembered, who doesn’t, and what those choices say about power, memory, and the stories we learn. By pairing traditional history with modern examples and current events, I’m trying to build a more honest, layered picture of the past and the present.
Selected Monthly Features & Historical Research
Nefertari
Nefertari, the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, was an influential ancient Egyptian queen who played important diplomatic and religious roles and was honored through remarkable monuments such as her temple at Abu Simbel and her richly decorated tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Although much about her life remains unknown, surviving letters, inscriptions, and artwork show that she held significant status and helped shape the political, religious, and cultural life of ancient Egypt.
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was a famous Hollywood actress who also co-invented a frequency-hopping communication system during World War II, a technology that later contributed to the development of modern wireless communication. Her story highlights how her intelligence and innovative achievements were often overlooked because of her celebrity image, making her an important figure in both film history and technological innovation.
Fei-Fei Li
Fei-Fei Li is a computer scientist whose creation of ImageNet helped revolutionize computer vision by enabling AI systems to learn how to recognize and understand images more effectively. Beyond her technical contributions, she has become a leading advocate for human-centered AI, emphasizing ethics, diversity, and the responsible development of artificial intelligence to benefit society.
About the Author
Alana Carpio is a high school student whose academic pursuits are driven by a profound interest in historical documentation. With a focus on the narratives of women frequently omitted from traditional curricula, she utilizes this platform as a systematic medium for exploring and categorizing archival records. Her work reflects a commitment to sharing these overlooked stories through a disciplined, student-academic lens, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of our collective memory.