Life as an Anthropology major has been anything but an easy ride. No one choosing this major really knows what they are getting themselves into until they take that first step into Dr. Flanagan's Anthropology 101 class or even Dr. Young's Biblical Archaeology class. Coming from a theatre background myself, Anthropology seemed like the last thing I would drop everything for in order to persue a life long passion.
Growing up in a family of nurses, pharmacists, and one geologist, my choices of a career seemed pretty far from "Theatre Performance" or even "Archaeology" for that matter. A love for human interaction and a love for history was the only thing I was ever 100% sure of. My grandfather lived right down the street from me and everyday I would ride my bike or walk to his house at the end of the road only to find him sitting in his favorite chair watching the "History Channel" and a glass of my nana's sweet tea sitting beside him. He would invite me to climb in his lap and join him in his favorite show. He always had a way of making me feel smart no matter what we were watching; he was interested in how I felt about, for example, the Civil War or even something like The War of 1812, and in his eyes, I was as "smart as a whip!" Whether I knew it or not, sitting in my Papa's lap watching the history channel is where my passion began in the study of Anthropology; it would continue to grow even after his death in 2003.
Hop, skip, and a jump to my sophmore year of college; I had been studying "Theatre Performance" at the University of Southern Miss for about two years and I could really see myself making it as an actress. Little did I know my grandfather would have bigger plans for me than anything I could imagine. I decided to study abroad the next spring semester, in February 2011, and make my way to Pontlevoy, France! This trip and educational experience changed my life forever. I fell in love with history more and more each day and with each trip to varying countries. Fast forward to the summer of 2011 and I'm sitting in James Flanagan's office discussing how to become an Anthropology major! This, by far, was one of the craziest spur of the moment decisions I have made in my life, but I will never regret my choice because I knew my passion and my love for human interaction and history would take me further than I could imagine.
And to think it all started with a man who loved just that...human interaction and history. I love what I am doing and learning here in the Anthropology Department; if you are looking for an exciting career choice, as I have, I know you will too! It's never too late to follow your passion...you just never know where it will take you!
Growing up in a family of nurses, pharmacists, and one geologist, my choices of a career seemed pretty far from "Theatre Performance" or even "Archaeology" for that matter. A love for human interaction and a love for history was the only thing I was ever 100% sure of. My grandfather lived right down the street from me and everyday I would ride my bike or walk to his house at the end of the road only to find him sitting in his favorite chair watching the "History Channel" and a glass of my nana's sweet tea sitting beside him. He would invite me to climb in his lap and join him in his favorite show. He always had a way of making me feel smart no matter what we were watching; he was interested in how I felt about, for example, the Civil War or even something like The War of 1812, and in his eyes, I was as "smart as a whip!" Whether I knew it or not, sitting in my Papa's lap watching the history channel is where my passion began in the study of Anthropology; it would continue to grow even after his death in 2003.
Hop, skip, and a jump to my sophmore year of college; I had been studying "Theatre Performance" at the University of Southern Miss for about two years and I could really see myself making it as an actress. Little did I know my grandfather would have bigger plans for me than anything I could imagine. I decided to study abroad the next spring semester, in February 2011, and make my way to Pontlevoy, France! This trip and educational experience changed my life forever. I fell in love with history more and more each day and with each trip to varying countries. Fast forward to the summer of 2011 and I'm sitting in James Flanagan's office discussing how to become an Anthropology major! This, by far, was one of the craziest spur of the moment decisions I have made in my life, but I will never regret my choice because I knew my passion and my love for human interaction and history would take me further than I could imagine.
And to think it all started with a man who loved just that...human interaction and history. I love what I am doing and learning here in the Anthropology Department; if you are looking for an exciting career choice, as I have, I know you will too! It's never too late to follow your passion...you just never know where it will take you!