Major: Anthropology
Minor: Art, German, and Archaeology
Hometown: Scottsbluff, NE
Year: Junior
Favorite book:
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has been my favorite book and series since I was 10 years old. I read a lot of young adult books growing up because I had a higher reading level and a lot of books for my age didn’t interest me. Even though I am older than the characters now, I can still relate to them deeply. The book is a great work of Historical Fiction/Fantasy. It mixes real historical events seamlessly with an element of the supernatural. I love all of the characters and their abilities, and I have read every book.
Favorite movie:
My favorite movie has to be 13 Going on 30. I have probably seen it hundreds of times and it never gets old. I’m a big fan of Rom Coms!
Why Anthropology?
Even though I didn’t know of it by that name for a long time, I have always been interested in Anthropology. There is so much to learn about people and it fascinates me. I love history and enjoy connecting the past to the present. I believe people have always been people and this course of study gives me an opportunity to explore that. I recently decided to focus specifically on museum studies and Archaeology in my Anthro work. As for my German and Art minors, they are both just things that interest me. I have always been creative and considered myself an amateur artist. I believe the opportunity to take studio courses will encourage me to find my niche.
German is a beautiful language, and my grandfather pushed me to learn it. He is fluent from growing up with German speaking grandparents and working in Germany for a few years in the 70’s. He speaks fondly of his time there and has been my Number 1 Supporter in language learning!
My two favorite courses so far are both recent. This summer I participated in Dr. Wandsnider’s Archaeology Field School. I had the opportunity to excavate and survey and learned important skills. My favorite day was when we spent the afternoon wading through a murky creek in pursuit of potential artifacts. I love the outdoors and am always up for an adventure. The other course actually wrapped up a few weeks ago. I participated in the Special Topics course with the International Quilt Museum. I got a firsthand look at museum work and enjoyed every second. The best part though was meeting the Japanese students from Saitama University. I loved getting to know them all and discussing our cultural differences.
As someone that switched my major late, I am new to it myself. I barely declared this major last Spring and I am already in full swing. My advice for those that are interested is to talk to your professors. They have so much knowledge and they are willing to help you much more than you realize. It doesn’t just have to be about your courses, I’ve gotten help trying to career plan!
Extracurricular Involvement:
As of right now, my schedule hasn’t allowed for that many activities, but I am planning quite a bit for the future. I am hoping to join Dr. Hoff in Turkey for the Antiochia ad Cragum Research Project and go on the Berlin Study Abroad Program administered by the German Language Department. Both are in the works and if all goes well, I will be attending soon. As for internships and volunteer work, I plan to strengthen my connections with MWAC (Midwest Archaeological Center) and the International Quilt Museum. I have learned networking will give me a leg up in this career path and I hope to do so to the best of my abilities! I am also planning a senior thesis and looking to conduct some research in my free time.
Post-Graduation Plans:
I plan to work as both an archaeologist and a museum curator. It will be a lot of work and schooling and I am currently unsure if I will be pursuing a doctorate. After I graduate, I am considering taking advantage of our wonderful Anthropology department for part of my graduate education. As for the rest, I hope to be able to complete my work in Germany. Years ago, I wanted to do my undergrad there as well, but I hadn’t studied the language and I wasn’t ready to go that far from home. I have always wanted to move abroad; I’m in need of a culture shock. I want to be able to experience life that is different than small town America.
