An aspect of field school that is not often discussed is how much it causes you to reflect on your likes and dislikes and how much it prompts reflection and refinement of research interests. As an archaeology major, I initially believed that hands-on excavation work would define my academic and professional journey. After all, digging into the earth to uncover artifacts is often what comes to mind when we think of “archaeology.” However, my experience at the Caribbean: Providence Island Heritage Archaeology field school allowed me to redefine the field of archaeology on my own terms.

Upon returning to the U.S., I realized that the excavation aspect of archaeology wasn’t the right fit for me. Don’t get me wrong—I thoroughly enjoyed using my trowel to unearth cultural heritage pieces that hold deep meaning for the communities we worked with. However, the community aspect of the field school captivated me much more. Part of this program was to model a research design so we could learn how to scale and scope research proposals. Through my interactions with the Native Raizal community, I became increasingly intrigued by the question, “What is diaspora?”—a topic I wanted to explore through an archaeological lens. This interest was sparked not by the digging itself but by the rich ethnographic work we conducted during our time there.

In addition to studying archaeology, I am a Cinema and Media studies major, so I wanted to draft a project where I could incorporate these two fields together in an interesting way. This led me to incorporate media archaeology into my research proposal. Media archaeology examines how change occurs over time through the evolution of media and its technologies. After receiving feedback on my proposal during the summer program, I realized this project had the potential to grow into something significant. Fortunately, the program’s principal investigator, Dr. Tracie Mayfield—who is also a professor at my university—was supportive and agreed to help me continue developing the project.

As a result, I’ll be building on my research throughout the rest of the academic year, with the exciting opportunity to return to the site for further study. Participating in an IFR field school is an excellent way to gain hands-on experience in archaeology, but it also offers invaluable opportunities to connect with professionals who genuinely want to help you grow. Without this experience, I wouldn’t have discovered my true research interests or built relationships with mentors willing to support my academic journey.