After Peabody, I attended Western Albemarle High School. I was worried about the transition, especially taking upper level classes with older students, but I found friends quickly, and high school ended up being a transformative period for me. After the academic rigor of Peabody, the academic culture was much more relaxed, so I had the opportunity to dabble in lots of activities, including ceramics classes, which has actually ended up being the focus of my research.
I applied to a lot of colleges and chose Elon because it was just enough outside of my comfort zone, but still only three hours from home. I’ve known forever that I wanted to do something in the humanities, and had enjoyed reading a lot of social science & anthropology books.
My freshman year, I took a January term archaeology course that included a month-long field school in Belize. We lived in a field camp and learned field methods, like excavating, taking detailed notes, and of course sweeping dirt! It felt like a convergence of everything I’d always enjoyed and had skills in: hands-on learning paired with abstract, analytical thinking.
That experience led me to work closely with my mentor, Dr. Rissa Trachman, to study Maya ceramics and ceramic analysis. I conducted undergraduate research with her and served as her TA, and Dr. Trachman’s own mentor will be my advisor when I begin graduate school this fall at UT Austin.
Much of my work focuses on methodology. When doing excavation, in every layer you’ll find ceramics that must be counted, catalogued, sorted, and correlated with specific time periods. People often imagine archaeology as something out of Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park. In reality, it’s a lot of methodology and data-entry, but it’s still very exciting!
As I prepare for my PhD program, my tentative research plan is to continue in Belize at a collaborative research camp involving multiple universities, field schools, and researchers. I’m being trained to take on increasing responsibility within that program. The conservation area includes numerous sites, and a key focus is household-produced ceramics rather than workshop-based production. In my research I’ll be able to conduct my own excavations, access existing data, and study the role of the household in Maya culture as a social and economic entity.
Looking back, I think the biggest thing Peabody instilled in me was a strong work ethic. I learned to hold a high standard for myself academically, and it fostered a sense of wanting to succeed. Even now I thrive in collaborative environments, working closely with others where we encourage each other and have a shared love of academia and learning. I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without my Peabody experience and experiencing what it’s like to be in an environment with other competitive, intelligent people. It was inspiring to be around others who were driven to succeed!
The small class size impacted how I prefer to work, and I chose a small college, a small major, and small classes. I think Peabody gave me a strong foundation in being in academic spaces that aren’t just lectures, but where you’re having dialogue with your teachers and others in your class — you’re fully engaged in conversation and learning. Middle school is such an important time for figuring out your personality, learning how to relate to others, and forming social relationships. I loved that we had so much friendly competition, and it was fun to strive for excellence because you were surrounded by friends.
For me, learning is fun, and so I’m looking to get my PhD and become a professor to continue this cycle. I’ve had so many great, personal relationships with teachers and professors who have shown me what’s possible and given me a window into what teaching is like. It’s not just about the material, but how it’s approached. My first field season reminded me of Peabody in that I was in an environment with others who cared so much about learning, sharing articles, and having nerdy conversations — I felt right at home!
My advice to Peabody students is that school is important, but life is important, too. Surround yourself with people who care about you for your personality and who love you regardless of how we might define being “successful.” Try not to place too much emphasis on what others think about you. It’s ok to be yourself, and be vocal, and be dorky! Don’t play it cool or diminish yourself to seem cool for others. The more fun you can have being yourself, it just makes your life better in so many ways! There are new friends around every corner, in every group project, or a club, or a sport. Start a conversation with someone and you never know where it might lead. Everyone can find something in common with everyone else.