Major: Anthropology
Minors: Sociology, Women's and Gender Studies
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Favorite movie
Back to the Future, I was obsessed with this movie as a child and it stuck, I love time travel movies.
Why anthropology?
I've always been interested in human identity and cultures, so when I came to UNL, I decided to pursue a degree in anthropology, concentrating in archaeology. The anthropology department here does a wonderful job in supplying students with a broad and applicable set of classes that represent all facets of anthropology.
After taking an intro to biological anthropology class my freshman year I became incredibly interested in the physical side to anthropology. My sophomore year, the forensic anthropology track became available, I took the intro to forensic anthropology course and decided to add the forensic concentration to my degree the next semester! Since then I've been able to explore such interesting and intriguing topics through my classes, such as Archaeofauna, Dental Anthropology, Primate Behavior and Ecology, etc.
I've also been able to continue exploring classes outside of my concentration that apply to my passions and interests like Gender Anthropology. Depending on your major/standing, UNL also offers many opportunities for electives, and over the course of my college experience, I've often sought out electives in sociology (like Sociology of Crime, or Sociology of Sex and Society) or Women's and Gender Studies (Activism and Feminist Movements, Saints, Witches, and Madwomen, and Sex and Gender in the Arabic World). Due to this, my junior year I decided to add these two interests as minors, given my passions for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
I think college is an amazing opportunity in which we are allowed to explore the things that energize and excite us, and develop future plans from the interests we develop through learning.
Extra-curricular experiences
Given the pandemic and the implications surrounding it, I haven't been able to pursue the internships and study abroad options I was planning on prior to 2020. If situations improve later this year, I'm looking forward to possibly interning at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Base in Omaha.
One engagement I've been able to maintain throughout COVID is roles within the Honors Program. I had the opportunity to be an honors peer mentor in 2019, which taught me leadership and collaborative skills, and it was so rewarding to have an impact in helping freshman begin their college experience. In fall 2020, I was a learning assistant to an honors 189H course titled "Gender, Pop Culture, and Social Movements" in which I was responsible for ensuring Zoom meetings ran smoothly and leading occasional discussions. This opportunity helped me learn to adapt with the pandemic, as well as build connections and facilitate discussions virtually.
I'd urge anyone involved in the honors program to explore these opportunities because they were so rewarding and beneficial to my development as a student and leader!
