Students Speak

What inspired you to major in Anthropology? And what about it continues to inspire you today?

"I grew up in a multicultural environment and have always been interested in how people from various backgrounds and cultures interact. Anthropology continues to inspire me in this changing environment as interactions between people and the world around them evolve and advance."

What inspired you to major in Anthropology? And what about it continues to inspire you today?“

During my undergraduate education at UCSC I was delighted to discover that I was further drawn to subject areas that require observational skills and critical analysis in Anthropology. Even though I have known all along that I possess these skills, I was still surprised that I was drawn to fields of scientific inquiry. As I reflect on it now, I should not have been surprised to come full circle from my earliest days of childhood curiosity about the natural world.”

What inspired you to major in Anthropology? And what about it continues to inspire you today?“

You know that feeling you get when you step into an environment that is totally different from your own, everything feels strange, and yet to the people who inhabit that environment everyday, it’s all the norm. I’d always been really aware of that feeling and I was in awe that there was an area of study that was basically dedicated to understanding that feeling. What continues to inspire me today is my desire to use the tools that I have learned and apply them to communities that I have a curiosity to understand. Also, I feel that there is so much more about anthropology and its applications that I have yet to learn about. It seems that the possibilities are only limited by my imagination so I’m really looking forward to continuing my studies in this area.”

What inspired you to major in Anthropology? And what about it continues to inspire you today?

“I took anthropology by chance because it fit into my schedule and I fell in love with it. the professors were so passionate about their work and the subject and really engaged me into the classes. When I sit in class I feel as though I am learning about so many different subjects about humanity that I had never known before and that the world doesn’t seem to advertise or teach in high school. What inspires me today is the fact that research can help our society move forward.”

What has been your favorite part of your Anthropology journey so far?

“I’ve really liked Vicky Oelze’s primate and behavior ecology class. It made me join her chimpanzee coding team, a research group that looks at the behavior of chimps in Tanzania. It’s something that made me change my career path. I think everyone should take it!”

What has been your favorite part of your Anthropology journey so far?

"I am a fourth-year transfer student in Anthropology at UCSC. I started out as a combined Sociology and Anthropology major at my previous institution. As I prepared to transfer to UCSC I picked one of my two majors and decided on Anthropology. I was intrigued by looking at people’s interactions through an anthropological lens. My favorite part of my Anthropology journey so far is the variety of classes I have taken at UCSC. This includes classes such as ANTH 147: Anthropology and the Anthropocene as well as ANTH 110A: Public Life and Contemporary Issues."

What has been your favorite part of your Anthropology journey so far?

“I think I really liked the diversity in classes that are offered. They really let their faculty direct the direction of the classes that they want to teach, which I think adds to all of the diversity across the board, and I think that makes the faculty more passionate about what their teaching in a way I haven’t seen in other departments.”