If you are reasonably intelligent, physically unimpaired, and do not have three eyes, chances are you will have no problem making it into a PTA program... A criminal record will not help, active drug use will be held against you, and an attitude problem will assure you are rejected from most programs... Good luck.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.