Prof. Leon Soulé taught in the History Department for many years, starting in the 1960s and retiring in the late eighties. He was known as an outstanding teacher and scholar. Indeed, as a teacher he was inspiring, and a number of his students were motivated by his teaching to get their Ph.D. and become professors themselves. These scholarships commemorate Prof. Soulé and his contributions to the History Department and the profession.
The recipient of the 2022 Professor Leon Soulé Award is Joseph Klucznik.
A bit about Joseph…
Joseph was born and raised in Cleveland. At the age of 15, Joseph and his family moved to the suburb of Rocky River, where he has lived ever since. Joseph attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School and was pleasantly exposed him to a “diverse environment filled with several cultures and backgrounds in which students were faced with a challenging but excellent foundation to achieve academic success.” Joseph then proceeded to Rocky River High School. He achieved great success Rocky River High School, eventually graduating with a High Honor roll and as a member of the National Honors Society.
After high school, Joseph Klucznik attended Cuyahoga Community College, where he obtained his Associate of Arts in May of 2020. He then transferred from Cuyahoga Community College to Cleveland State University.
Joseph Klucznik, who is 23 years old, is now a standing senior and will be entering his third and final year here at CSU in the fall.
Joseph is proud of…
…one of his biggest achievements that he began working at 16 years old to save up for college. “…and that still to this day seven years later, I am still a hard worker both in academics and at my hospitality job. I can proudly say that I am paying my way throughout my college career and that I refuse to take out loans or accept help from my parents as I would like to do this for myself.”
Joseph was inspired by…
…his sister Angelina, the first in his family to obtain two bachelor’s and one master’s degrees. Calling Angelina a role model, Joseph writes that Angelina showed him that through “hard work ethic, studying carefully, and dedicating time towards higher studies,” one can achieve anything one wants in life. He continues to be inspired by Angelina to “continue my education, believe in what is right, and be the best version of myself that I can be.”
In the future…
…Joseph plans to further his education and become a historian and/or an archivist one day. He wants to be able to teach “future generations about history and help contribute to the telling of the past so that the past is not repeated and that the voices of the past are not forgotten.”
