Anthropology major

I was fourteen years old when I knew I wanted to be an anthropologist. Naturally, my understanding of anthropology is no longer merely a fascination with "the Other," and I now know it's much more than just studying half-naked indigenous people in the middle of the rainforest. Now that I am properly oriented to the scope of the field, it is my goal to work with the theories and techniques of the discipline, especially its emphasis on qualitative methods, to solve real-world problems.

While at Eckerd I had numerous opportunities to participate in service learning, ranging from beach cleanups and homeless outreach to voter registration and my Quest for Meaning project at Academy Prep, where I was a tutor to disadvantaged youth. Of course, I can never forget my freshwoman experience during Autumn Term with Into the Streets at the Palladium Theatre, my first dabble in the world of volunteerism. The multiple chances I had at Eckerd to volunteer my time engrained in me the importance of doing for others, and I'm hoping to make that philosophy a part of my career and life in the years to come.

I am currently applying to graduate programs in Anthropology in which social problems in urban areas are the focus of student research and faculty expertise. I am hoping to conduct applied research in "engaged Anthropology" related to issues concerning power and culture, injustice, space and place, "race" and ethnicity, political economy, and community advocacy while earning my degree.

My desire to focus on urban studies stems from my previous experience with ethnographic research grounded in an urban context. Before graduating from Eckerd College, I completed a senior thesis entitled "In Search of Eden: Pioneers, Prospects, and the Changing Image of Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida." My project was concerned with the history, redevelopment and gentrification of the downtown area as well as senior citizens' perceptions of these changes, specifically because a large segment of the population of the city, also known as "God's Waiting Room" for many years, was elderly. My decision to research the views of seniors on the downtown's changing image wasn't arbitrary; they were and perhaps still are just one of the many disadvantaged and dislocated groups affected by the area's "renaissance."

Since graduating from Eckerd College I have been employed by The Children's Home as a tutor for academically and behaviorally challenged elementary school students in Pinellas County. Having worked with these children and their families, many of whom are dealing with the problems characteristic of the urban poor, I see the need for applied anthropological/sociological research to help solve urban community problems, especially within the education sphere. I look forward to being able to contribute a higher level of skill and understanding –as a university professor, a researcher, or employee in a governmental or non-governmental organization – after earning my graduate degree.