I can’t think of a better way to supplement one’s education than to study abroad. My undergraduate experiences overseas have consisted of summers spent on archaeological digs, particularly at the site of Stabia in Southern Italy. The weeks I’ve spent at Stabia have been among the most formative periods of my life, not only influencing my choice in majors and career path but also shaping who I’ve become as an individual. On these digs I learned the practical applications of ideas I’d learned in the classroom: there’s nothing like the hands-on experience of working among ancient structures and handling delicate artifacts to bring the past to life. I’ve been fortunate to find various outlets at Duke through which to continue developing the interests that my time abroad has fueled. Whether I’m interning at the Nasher Museum of Art to work with artifacts in a museum setting or researching Roman topography for my senior thesis, the physical world of antiquity continues to fascinate and inspire me at a level that wouldn’t have been possible without the contextualization of foreign travel.
Kiki Fox, Duke 2012
Classical Studies
