Photo by British Library on Unsplash

Dreaming of dirt

I wanted to become an archaeologist. As a child, I couldn’t imagine anything else for myself. As I got older, I didn’t think pursuing my childhood dreams were realistic. I entered the workforce after graduating secondary school. I spent a few years in food and cleaning services industry, before realising I did not want a future in either. I was encouraged to try other services, which led me to financial duties in a vault. Although I enjoyed working with financials, I didn’t feel fulfilled in my day-to-day life. I dreamed of digging and learning about the people on earth before me. Still, I did not follow my heart. I opted for travel. Hoping my transferrable skillsets would open doors, I spent a year in Nunavut. The headfirst immersion in a culture opposite of the busy Torontonian lifestyle was the wake-up call I needed. I knew I couldn’t find a career path I wanted to follow because it wasn’t learning about humanity. A year after my return down south I applied to my dream school, Trent University, for both the anthropology and archaeology programs. I was accepted into both programs, but chose the one I thought would offer me more career choices. In my late twenties, as a mature student, I began my academic journey for an arts degree in anthropology.

I attended post-secondary part-time, attempting to adjust to the transition from the workforce into the classroom. I would teeter between two and three courses per semester. A few years in, I had my first experience in an archaeological excavation. It was a dream come true. I enjoyed both the physical labour of digging and the tedious lab work that followed. I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, physical limitations prevent a career in archaeological labour. Fortunately, lab work opened up a new world of possibilities for me. I wanted to explore other avenues in anthropology, which led me to taking more science-based courses. I didn’t know it then, but the introduction to the biological aspects of anthropology would change the course of my education and life.

“Archaeology is not just about digging up the past, it’s about understanding our present and shaping our future”.
– Dr. Zahi Hawass

I stepped away from my academic journey for two years for a multitude of reasons. I refused to be in the classroom if I was unable to put my all into my education. Upon my return, everything changed. I no longer had the desire to work towards an arts degree, but was seeking a life in sciences. I changed my major from arts to sciences and began to explore biological and medical anthropology. All of my passions were leaning towards biological factors influencing human evolution. I wanted to learn more about bone structure, diseases, pathologies, and the roles all those factors play in biocultural adaptation. I began to carve out different dreams for myself and my future.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Today, I am currently in the last chapter of my first undergraduate experience as a mature student. Complementary to my degree, I am working towards specialisations in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology.  During my time at Trent I developed a fiery passion for sciences and discovered so much more about myself than I could have imagined. Although I am retiring from the journey in anthropology after my degree, I am grateful for all I have learned and the experiences gained. I aim to pursue a postgrad in AI and a masters in health sciences as the next steps towards a career in research. Thanks to my solid foundation in anthropology, I believe I can adapt to what lies ahead, and continue to achieve my dreams.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make“.
– Jane Goodall