After taking two classes with Professor Turner studying Mesoamerica, I wanted to continue my studies with her in the fall. I also really wanted to work on my thesis for her spring class because the concepts I was working with were absolutely fascinating to me and combined all my areas of study. So I took a directed study with Prof. Turner to work on my thesis and I also worked as an assistant for her doing clerical work.
When Prof. Turner and I met at the beginning of the semester to talk about the directed study and the position as an assistant she told me about a study abroad class she was putting together for the spring. The class would be going to Antigua, Guatemala, and would be working with a small school in Santiago Zamora to paint a mural on the side of their new school. The group would also be visiting the archaeological sites of Tikal and Yaxha in the Peten, and would spend two days at Lake Atitlan, including a home stay with a native family.
As Prof. Turner continued to describe the trip, I was nearly in tears I was so excited. I told her I wanted to go, sign me up, I'll do whatever it takes.
During the fall semester I worked on my Maya portfolio in my portfolio class, building on the Boston Codex and tentatively starting to explore new media. I also worked on my thesis, changing its structure and making it more cohesive and scholarly. The most important thing I did that semester was applying to and preparing for the course to Guatemala in the spring.
I remember the night I found out I got a position in the class; I started jumping up and down in my studio at the school and promptly started running around telling everyone I met that I was going to Guatemala!
I had also gotten one of the five available scholarships for the trip, so on top of being accepted to the trip, I could actually afford to go as well, as price was an issue that had come up throughout the semester. It seemed that all my puzzle pieces were coming together perfectly!
Part four is coming up next!
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