Student profiles

Photo:Corinna Julius
Morgan King, Anthropology Co-op Student

Morgan completed her last co-op term in the Summer of 2018 with In Situ Consulting in Roberts Creak, BC as an Anthropological Researcher. She appreciated learning more about cultural resource management with a company that she feels is passionate about saving and gathering information about archaeological sites, and teaching the public about the archaeology on the sunshine coast.
According to Morgan, a highlight was the chance to boat up to the end of Narrows Inlet to complete field work. She learned how to complete shovel tests (small excavation units to test for boundaries of archaeological sites throughout the area), excavation units (to test the depth of the archaeological site), and measuring/sketching rock shelters.

Her experience reinforced her appreciation of anthropology as a discipline. She commented, “The study of anthropology and its subdiscipline archaeology has allowed me to understand how to approach the steep learning curve that I encountered with this coop. It has helped me in being adaptable as well as how to organize myself and to problem solve through the challenges presented to me. The archaeological field school that I completed in Ireland aided me in the practical skills needed to complete this job such as understanding stratigraphy and how to take the coordinates of artifacts discovered. Whereas the zoo-archaeology class that I participated in really aided in honing my analytical skills as well as my ability to distinguish different marine life which is directly useful to my job. In addition the forensic human osteology and human osteology classes completed at UVic were especially useful in distinguishing animal and human bones. As well I completed a field school with the University of Victoria at the Jewish cemetery which was a very pertinent class since I became more comfortable with data accumulation, transcribing data, and working with the public. All of these classes and projects have really helped me in my application of theories/skills to real life archaeology.”

So how can other Anth students find success like Morgan? She shares some advice: “Definitely complete a co-op work term” She says that it provide an opportunity to learn about jobs and careers for the discipline …. and it can give students a step ahead of other new graduates when going out into the field or the labour market.

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