Experiential Learning

"For two months last summer, I got to assist in an ongoing bioarchaeology project with Archaeotek in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania. The goal of the project is to excavate cemetery sites at medieval churches. The excavation that I assisted in was at the Papdomb site in Patakfalva, which has been under excavation since 2014. 

For the first month, I worked in the lab and was trained in osteology. The second month, I worked in the field. We were taught excavation techniques, mapping, and soil analysis. My dig partner and I fully excavated two grave cuts (one with two individuals in it) and mapped 4 grave cuts. 

This experience was life-changing. I was able to work with two different sides of bioarchaeology and learned so much about both. I have taken many anthropology courses at the university, but learning in the field was completely different, and my understanding of archaeology has been greatly expanded. This experience also gave me hands-on skills and connections with many of my peers in the field. 

Receiving this award made it possible for me to take two months off work to go and dig in the dirt halfway across the world. It was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful that I was able to do it."

"Through the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Volcano Observatory, I backpacked through the Valley of 10,000 Smokes in Katmai to learn about the 1912 eruption of Novarupta. We camped right next to the epicenter of the eruption and walked about 80 miles in 11 days, seeing other features from the eruption and other volcanoes in the area. We hiked to the caldera lake at Mt. Katmai, a place that fewer than 20 people visit annually. 

I want to be a volcanologist, and I have a special interest in Alaskan volcanoes. This trip helped me learn more about volcanism of all types and cemented my desire to pursue volcanology as a career."

"I interned with a traditional fermentation company called Kamoshika in Kyoto, Japan. Within this company, there are only about ten employees, and they manage a restaurant, a lab, and a store where they sell their DIY fermentation kits and their own creations. Kamoshika cares about spreading awareness of the health benefits of fermented foods and encourages the creation of these wonderful goods at home. 

I learned technical skills like cooking and food preparation in a clean and well-sanitized environment to avoid contamination, maintaining a social media presence, and articulating research for presentation to a live audience. 

At Kamoshika, I learned a lot about intercultural differences and similarities, which provided a wealth of knowledge to guide me in future relationships with cultures that are different from my own. Working in partnership with Kamoshika’s owner helped me better understand what it would be like to open and manage my own business. 

Without the CAS internship award, I would not have been able to participate in this culturally enriching program. I have made lasting global connections. These are things that a young person growing up in the middle of nowhere could not have even fathomed would happen to her one day. But they did, and I am flourishing with the knowledge and experience I have gained from being able to work abroad with the assistance of this scholarship."