The Facebook memory feature is pretty cool. It jogs the memory and has details about events that may have been forgotten. Today the memory was us taking Shawn to the archeology field school in New Philadelphia, Illinois. She'd applied for the program (she hadn't told us until she was accepted). It was funded by the National Science Foundation for the University of Illinois (UIUC). The project was headed by a faculty member of UIUC. 60-70 students applied and 6 were selected. My kid was one of them!
The project had the students at the site for four weeks, then at the University of Illinois in Springfield for four weeks. Not only was room and board included, but they got paid! When she returned to WSU, between this project and the project from the previous summer (Buffalo Soldier research in New Mexico with Howard University) she had a cartload of experience. WSU has a project at the old train station and it was discovered that Shawn had more experience in excavations than some grad students. She also ended up as lead on a project that researched The Purple Gang of Detroit before she graduated.
She decided she wanted to go to grad school, but her dilemma was most schools didn't offer just a masters degree. They were doctorate programs. She wasn't interested in that. Anyway. She applied to schools she was interested in and schools that had faculty she wanted to work with. Yes, she'd met these people at archeology conferences. She knew their work. She got letters of recommendation from the staff at WSU. She also asked the faculty member from the Illinios field school for a letter of recommendation. He agreed but asked her why hadn't she applied for admission to the archeology graduate program at UIUC. I told Shawn go ahead and apply. It sounded like the faulty member was sending her a message. Did I mention that he was on the graduate admissions committee? Lol.
So yeah. She got accepted at multiple schools and with grants and fellowships. But check this out. UIUC was the last school she applied to and the first one to send the acceptance letter. Also with a fellowship. Then they started flying her to Champaign-Urbana. Several times. Other schools wooed her. And the only school she would have selected if things had lined up was Wayne State. She wanted to continue her research there. But Wayne State was the only school that didn't offer a financial package. And I have to add, that every other school she was accepted at was a public state school which did offer fellowships. The state of Michigan lost an asset. Anyway. She accepted the offer from UIUC. And now the faculty member who led the New Phiadelphia project she was a part of five years ago is now her faculty advisor.
And this year as with the others we will be visiting Shawn at her field school. This time she will be there as a member of the lead team instead of a student...an assistant to her advisor. This year they'll be in Edgefield, South Carloina. And our travel plans to Edgefield are complete. More on that soon.
So yeah. 5 years ago. How far we've come. I marvel at my child. Did I mention that during the doctorate program the students are awarded a masters degree? If you get a chance to talk to her, she is wealth of information about history and locations. On many topics. Brian and I continuously learn from her!!
That's it for today. The dialysis update...the meds to raise my blood pressure haven't kicked in yet..boo. Hopefully they will soon. Well. Time to run errands. Have wonderful day!!
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