•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Ana Swanson is an Anthropology major from Warwick, RI. Ana explains that writing papers has always been challenging for her, not because of ability, but because of boredom. “I just don’t enjoy writing in a strict, buttoned-up tone—or the academic filter, as I call it in this essay,” she shares. Discovering that she didn’t have to conform to that filter felt revolutionary and opened up a new way of approaching her work. Returning to college after leaving her studies twice, Ana came back with a renewed sense of purpose and a focus on anthropology, a subject she genuinely loves. Writing this paper helped her develop strategies she now applies in other classes: starting in her own voice before rephrasing into an academic tone when necessary. “This strategy didn’t occur to me until writing this paper,” she reflects. “Writing in my own voice wasn’t something I would have even thought of before.” Recently, Ana participated in an archaeology field school at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia, which she describes as life-changing. Within days, she realized she wants to pursue archaeology as her subfield. “Through archaeology, I can bring back even a small memory of someone forgotten,” she says. She finds it both bittersweet and reassuring that we are all temporary, yet even a fragment of a forgotten life can be recovered, remembered, and honored. For Ana, this essay and her field experiences have connected her love of history, discovery, and human stories in ways that are personally meaningful and academically inspiring.

Download

Share

COinS