An abolitionist and a scholar of history, whose destinies, though so very different from one another, brought them to the same place. And now the path of the student and that of the slave have met in New York City.

Tim Shenk, of Annapolis, went to New York by way of Columbia University. A 2003 graduate of the Severn School, Mr. Shenk is a history major entering his junior year at Columbia.

Frederick Douglass, of Maryland's Eastern Shore and later Baltimore went to New York by way the Underground Railroad in his escape from slavery.

This summer Mr. Shenk has been completely immersed in the life and times of Frederick Douglass.

Mr. Shenk is one of 15 students, chosen from more than 300 applicants, to participate in a six-week history scholar program at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City.

"These are the brightest young historians in America," said Professor James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute, which sponsors the program and promotes the study of American history. "We see them as a kind of Rhodes Scholar among history majors."

Given that a program which focuses on research, tours of archives, and seminars conducted by eminent historians may not appeal to the average college student on summer break, it's a sign that nothing about Mr. Shenk is average.

"I was somewhere in the top 10 percent of my class," said Mr. Shenk, who had a 4.0 grade point average at Severn.

Back to his summer fun, Mr. Shenk, along with the other Gilder Lehrman History Scholars will be compiling a Frederick Douglass reader, containing reproductions and transcriptions of original documents, along with historical introductions. Primary use will befor teachers and students.

Each of the students involved in the program, all juniors and seniors, are responsible for one chapter.

"My chapter will focus on Frederick Douglass' time abroad in the U.K. and the way it affected his impression of racism and freedom in America," Mr. Shenk said.

"It's real exciting," said Mr. Shenk. "It's really rewarding - a lot of my friends are doing mind-numbing jobs."

Though Mr. Shenk repeatedly admits, "academics are my first priority," he insists he has other interests including a girlfriend.

"I love movies, music and art," said Mr. Shenk.

At Columbia, with a secondary concentration in English, Mr. Shenk is giving up the managing editor responsibilities with the student newspaper to assume the role of editor-in-chief for a new school magazine.

Following graduation, Mr. Shenk is hoping to spend some time abroad on a fellowship before going on to graduate school.

Among the fellowships he's applying for are the Marshall, the Fulbright and the Kellet.

"The Marshall would let me get a degree at one of several universities in the U.K., the Fulbright would let me do an independent research project in Ireland, and the Kellet is a Columbia-specific thing that would allow me to get a degree from Cambridge or Oxford," said Mr. Shenk. "Of course, these are all insanely competitive, but I'm still throwing my hat in the ring."

Mr. Shenk also is co-chair of Columbia's student-run academic awards committee, which chooses two professors yearly for excellence in teaching and research.

"Tremendously nerdy, but also tremendously fun," Mr. Shenk said.

His experiences at Columbia have been nothing short of spectacular thus far, he said, with some notable differences between Annapolis and Manhattan.

"The cultural offerings of the city were mind-blowing," said Mr. Shenk. "It's been an amazing experience."

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Donna L. Cole is a freelance writer living in Annapolis.

Used with the permission of The Capital newspaper.

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