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Abigail Daigle

1,445

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Winner

Bio

While I may not own a fedora I certainly accumulate sun hats. As an aspiring classical archeologist and first year undergraduate student at Mount Holyoke College, I have found a particular purpose for hats. Sun hats are an essential element to hot summer days covered in dirt and a fifty pound pack on your back. Hot summer days, covered in dirt may not be for everyone but the hat simply fits me. I spend time in the classroom learning multiple languages, studying Roman and Greek history so that I am able to learn and even make history in the very place it happened. My love of learning drives me. Whether it's exploring new places, learning from museums, my peers, community or classroom, I am determined to not only learn but lift up others in the process. I hope to wear the hat of an archaeologist so that I might make the field more accessible in a world where much of the humanities is under attack. I already wear the hat of a community helper, working to integrate accessibility measures for the visually impaired at my university's art museum. Additionally, I work in a local museum, in the field of museum education to better understand how the history and museum field can be more accessible for all. As a teacher, a student and an explorer I cannot wait to wear a sun hat.

Education

Mount Holyoke College

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2027
  • Majors:
    • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Minors:
    • Archeology
  • GPA:
    3.9

Cherry Creek High School

High School
2019 - 2023
  • GPA:
    3.7

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Classical and Ancient Studies
    • History
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      classical archeologist

    • Dream career goals:

      To teach and deconstruct the classical archeological field work through field work, teaching and museum conservation.

    • Family Education Intern

      Springfield Museums
      2023 – Present1 year
    • Present

    Sports

    Swimming

    Varsity
    2019 – Present5 years

    Awards

    • varsity letter award, sportsmanship award

    Research

    • Archeology

      Mount Holyoke College — Researcher
      2023 – Present
    • Behavioral Sciences

      Cherry Creek High School — All roles
      2022 – Present

    Arts

    • Music
      Present

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Willow Creek Swim Team — Head volunteer leader
      2017 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Presbyterian St. Lukes Hospital — Volunteer
      2021 – Present
    • Advocacy

      Sources of Strength — Outreach coordinator and executive board member
      2020 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Generation Tech — President
      2021 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Joseph C. Lowe Memorial Scholarship
    Winner
    To answer this question I must use the word Gallia: a Gaul goddess, native to modern-day France. To me, the significance of Gallia is not her religious significance, but rather where she is found. Gallia and the dedication to her is found at Vindolanda, a Roman fortress found in northern England. This is particularly fascinating, as it is dedicated by the Gauls and Britons, and resides within a Roman fort. For me, this is the epitome of why I fell in love with history. History not only tells the world's most fascinating story but also fosters community. In many ways, I have been raised by historical documentaries. I have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV on chilly Saturday mornings watching a new documentary with my father. As I grew my love for history grew stronger. In high school, I would come home nearly every day with a new fact I learned from history class. From ancient scrolls of the Ming Dynasty to the song the Soviet Union played over the loudspeakers in Stalingrad to spark fear in the Germans during World War II. At the same time, I never saw history as a career path I could take. I had so many endeavors, from social justice to community building, all of which I felt like I couldn’t incorporate into my passion for history. But when I read the excavation reports from Vindolanda my views changed. I realized history in every sense could represent the community and it was also something I could work to improve. History can bring all sorts of people together. Asking about a person’s historical interests has become one of my top getting-to-know-you questions. But History and the historical field also have many faults. One of which is its lack of accessibility. In fact, my father once told me that if he could have been anything he would have been a historian, yet he never became one. This was because the historical field of his day was inaccessible. Sadly, not much has changed. I am committed to changing that. People like my father, who couldn’t afford it or couldn’t meet the physical demands shouldn’t be held from their dreams because a field is not accessible. As a first-year undergraduate, I have worked tirelessly to change this. I have worked to introduce photogrammetry to my college museum to create 3D copies of museum objects so guests can interact with art in more ways than just sight. Additionally, I am currently developing a method to convert 2D paintings and images into 3D, textile pieces, something that will be one of the first in its field. Beyond this I have become heavily involved in my local museum as a volunteer museum educator, working to create ways for young people to get involved in history. Eventually, I hope to introduce an art and accessibility unit at local elementary schools to understand the importance of art, history and accessibility. I love history, and I will pursue it for the rest of my life. From participating in an archeological dig in 2024, integrating more accessible ways of viewing art in museums, to eventually gaining my doctorate. But my love for history shouldn’t be pursued by me alone and I am committed to making it available for everyone, I just need some help along the way.