Archaeology and Ancient History Personal Statement Example 2

I was nine years old, and we live in Chicago, Illinois. That year my family had a membership to the Field Museum of Natural History, and every Saturday would find us on the train to the Field. Our first stop was always the pyramid. We would climb the stairs to the very top and then descend down the ramp, much like the shaft inside a real pyramid.

We would travel down the dark corridors filled with mystery, looking at carved tablets, and my heart would race. Looking at the canoptic jars and jewelry pieces, I felt it was remarkable they still existed. The only thing better than being at the Field, would be to unearth the artifacts myself. To uncover and rediscover things that could have been trivial and unappreciated 3,000 years ago is my dream. Ancient history and archaeology are my passions.

While I am too young to have experienced a field school, I have had the opportunity to travel to China and Eastern Europe with the People to People Student Ambassadors Program. I was struck by the longevity of a city like Beijing, and my curiosity was raised; I wondered what lay under the surface.

My interests in archaeology were encouraged particularly by a class trip to Canyon de Chelly in Arizona, where we stayed at a reservation with a native Navajo family. As Lupita, the mother and “tour guide,” showed us the extensive tunnels of the canyon, I found a broken piece of pottery.

For five minutes I held this piece of history in my hands. Its geometrical rebrands of paint made the shard feel very fragile, yet it had withstood years of wear and tear. The feeling I had when realizing I could have been the first to see it in over 500 years was overwhelming and strengthened my desire to become an archaeologist.

During school, I am very vocal about my love of all things ancient, and when not in a history based class, teachers frequently add historical content within lectures. At Academe of the Oaks, I am student body president, yearbook editor, a member of the varsity volleyball team, and help make up the very small graduating class of eight.

I also find community service very important, and help tutor elementary students in math and English on a regular basis. I attend a Waldorf high school where the emphasis is on classroom discussion rather than worksheets.

I have found, because of this teaching style, I am very inquisitive and always wanting to know more. Through my readings, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, The Odyssey, and the Oedipus Rex trilogy, I have found deeper insights into what is important in a culture-- to human beings. I have been inspired by these works to learn about their cultures so as to better understand our current one.

I will be a high school graduate at the age of 17. Due to my young age, I have decided to take a year off and do things that, in the past, I had not been able to do. I plan to train to become a docent at the Carlos Museum on the Emory University campus in Atlanta, Georgia in order to share my excitement about ancient history with others.

I will continue to wait tables and be a hostess at a local restaurant named Ducks in order to save money for school. Lastly, I will train to become a yoga instructor. I feel that by taking a year off, I will be a more mature student, and ready to begin the rest of my life. I would like to study in the United Kingdom because of its early specialization within majors, difficulty level, and its rich history of academic excellence.