Identity

I’ve usually defined myself as a scientist, since I’m further along in that track. But a line from my program’s welcoming email caused me to pause. “I know it will be quite humbling to be in the presence of historians, musicians, anthropologists, political scientists, linguists, literary critics, philosophers, and artists, all of whom are globally minded and determined to absorb Senegalese culture.” Hmmm, no science mentioned. In the process of taking Honors Organic Chemistry, I lost most of my scientific confidence before gaining it back with interest. During the losing stage, I had a conversation with my French professor and faculty mentor, who counseled me to stay in science if I wanted to be an African anthropologist. This quote reminded me that my disparate interests do set me apart from the crowd a bit, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve just started to focus a bit on the humanities and hopefully this semester will lead me in a new direction.