Tori McCall applied her Volunteer spirit to honors history studies and goals of helping others in need.
Tori McCall forged her unique Volunteer journey from rural Tennessee to Central Europe and back home to Rocky Top, excelling in classwork and research while also working to pay her way through college.
Her path to success was not entirely clear when she arrived in 2022 as a first-generation student from the small town of New Market, Tennessee, but an introductory history class spoke to her long-held passion for helping others.
“I’ve always been sensitive to the plight of suffering, especially suffering caused by violence,” said McCall. “I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to do something meaningful in response to that. Figuring out how I wanted to do it was the hard part.”
A pursuit of service could have manifested through a wide range of fields, but history courses made things click.
“I realized that if I actually want to make a difference, it is essential to understand the complexity of situations before trying to act on them,” said McCall. “History, of course, gave me that foundation. It was modern European history that drew me in. Those courses pushed me to engage seriously with questions of mass atrocity and moral responsibility—topics that are now at the core of my academic work.”
Bringing Global Experiences Home
McCall soon joined the Department of History Honors Program, where she applied her energies full steam. She looked deeper into European history through the Normandy Scholars Program, which took her to Poland, Germany, and Czechia. She was able to study the history of the Holocaust at the sites where it took place.
“That experience was incredibly impactful,” said McCall. “It allowed me to engage with the history I study in a much more direct and personal way, and I’ve been able to bring that perspective back into my academic work, especially in my focus on humanitarianism and mass atrocity.”
McCall’s wide range of projects has given her extensive practice as a strong researcher and effective communicator. Associate Professor of History Jacob Latham, a valued faculty mentor for McCall, praises her work in class and beyond.
“Tori seeks out opportunities and challenges to maximize her growth and potential,” said Latham. “She has sought out new experiences and has pursued multiple research opportunities in the department—working one semester with our award-winning Associate Professor Brandon Winford—and beyond as a research assistant in UT’s Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, working with Professor Krista Wiegand.”
Above and Beyond Capstone Work
These professional-level experiences prepared McCall for writing a 50-page senior honors thesis that explores the complexity of humanitarian neutrality during World War II and the Holocaust, focusing on the history of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The thesis represents a rigorous yearlong guided research project, something more usually undertaken in graduate programs. Her presentation on the work at the 2026 College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium (ASUReS) earned a first-place award.
“It examines the organization’s decision to remain silent about the mass murder of Jews despite having reliable knowledge, and how the principle of neutrality was articulated, defended, and challenged,” said McCall. “By situating the ICRC’s wartime stance within both its own institutional history and modern moral expectations of humanitarianism, the project analyzes how the Holocaust created a profound crisis for the idea of humanitarian neutrality.”
Her other research projects share a theme of understanding how decisions by individuals, governments, or other institutions play out within complex social, political, or moral contexts.
“This common thread reflects my undergraduate research motivation, which is to analyze and make sense of complicated systems so I can contribute knowledge that helps address human suffering and inform better decision-making,” said McCall.
Connecting the Big Orange Dots
A summer internship at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park kicks off McCall’s post-graduate plans. She will research areas of the park that are potentially rich in Black history and help communicate that history through exhibits and visitor programs.
She will then travel to Germany for a 10-month Fulbright Program English Teaching Assistantship.
“Alongside teaching, I plan to volunteer with humanitarian organizations, hopefully by supporting relief efforts connected to ongoing conflicts or assisting with research,” said McCall. “I’m especially interested in gaining hands-on experience with how aid is organized and delivered on the ground, as well as how organizations document and analyze crises. My goal is to bring that practical and research-based experience back to the US and pursue a professional career in the humanitarian aid sector.”
As she steps forward, McCall is thankful for faculty members who had a profound impact on her UT experience.
“Marina Maccari-Clayton inspired me to study history,” she said. “Dawn Danalis made learning German fun, Tracey Norrell showed me the world through Normandy Scholars, Molly Granatino showed me how beautiful it is to live, Jacob Latham has been an incredible mentor and friend, and Margaret Andersen helped me realize my life’s goal. They are truly extraordinary people, and I will carry their wisdom with me for the rest of my life.”
She also carries a deep appreciation of the ways UT has ignited her aspirations.
“The term ‘alma mater’ literally translates to ‘nourishing mother,’ and that didn’t really make sense to me until recently,” said McCall. “I’ve been given a lot of opportunity to reflect lately, and I can honestly say that my experience at UT has been transformative for my mind and spirit. This university challenged me, supported me, and gave me opportunities that have shaped who I am today. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.”
by Randall Brown