This May I had the chance to use my STEP funds towards a study abroad program entitled “The History and Archaeology of Medieval Ireland: Trim and the Blackfriary.” Here is a reflection detailing my experience and the impact it had on my studies as a whole. Enjoy!

Hi! My name is Dolen Helwagen and I used my STEP funds to travel to Ireland and participate in the “The History and Archaeology of Medieval Ireland: Trim and the Blackfriary” program. This program took me to the Blackfriary archaeology field school in Trim, Ireland where I had the chance to work on excavating a Medieval Dominican Friary, as well as travel around to the rest of Ireland. In addition to excavating and traveling, I had the chance to learn about the history of Trim and Ireland itself, while learning the ins and outs of archaeological study. Growing up I had always been interested in archaeology, so this program allowed me to experience first-hand what archaeologists truly do. I am studying math and history, which don’t necessarily link directly to archaeology, but I found both very useful within my time at the Blackfriary.

Going into this program I truly didn’t know what to expect. Zero archaeological experience and little international travel were my reality and this program helped me expand my horizons in ways which truly surprised myself. A big change I saw in myself was my confidence of organization. Throughout this trip I was given the chance to organize weekend trips and activities for my fellow students and I am extremely proud with the success at which these events happened. I have always had a knack for logistics, so planning trips and organizing large groups came much easier to me than I had first thought. I organized a weekend trip to Galway for 15 of my classmates, including me, and it turned out to be one of the best weekends I had in Ireland. Furthermore, with the help of my housemates, I had the opportunity to make paper plate awards (ie: superlatives) and create a way to build community within our group. I am very proud of how well these events turned out and now know my strength of organization can be beneficial in many different ways.

Before I came to Ireland, I really didn’t know what I was myself getting into. I was extremely nervous for the actual digging and the first day we started, I knew I had made the right decision. We had the chance to work under some amazing supervisors at the field school and every single one of them helped us from the moment we got de-sodding to the last bucket of soil we removed 4 weeks later. I was continually pushed to step out of my comfort zone both emotionally, and physically, which ultimately made this experience so rewarding. Nothing builds relationships and friendships like shoveling, digging, troweling, and wheelbarrowing in the pouring rain.

Every single person I interacted with throughout this program (our OSU advisors Dr. Alison Beach and Melissa Clark, my fellow classmates, the field school supervisors, our site interns) had a profound impact on my experience. That being said, one of the main influences in my transformation was my cutting supervisor, Laura Corrway. Laura was in charge of the cutting I was digging in, cutting 16, and there she helped us every step of the way. Our entire cutting looked to Laura to guide us in the right direction and, without her, I think we would’ve majorly struggled within the cutting. Laura always knew when we were struggling, or succeeding, and worked to help us really understand what was happening within the soil. I look up to Laura in the way that she helped us learn by example, not by giving us all of the answers. Excavation is hard work and she really helped me understand the process and impact our group had on understanding the Blackfriary and its intricacies.

Another large part of my transformation was the academic project we were tasked with by Professor Beach. The project-based learning she introduced to us created a whole other side to this program and allowed us to attack questions from many different angles, and to learn a vast amount about Medieval Christianity, Ireland, and the Blackfriary. My amazing group of classmates attacked the question from the fields of which we are studying which allowed me to bring in the math side of my background. Throughout the excavation process I found I had a passion for surveying and using a tool known as the Total Station, which takes measurement and coordinates using mathematical and physical processes. This part of the excavation really resonated with me and being able to use this towards my final project was a great opportunity.

This program has truly affected me and my outlook on future careers as it has shown me archaeology is much more related to both history and math as I had once thought. Although I still want to pursue a PhD and become a professor, I think this field experience will be very valuable down the road, as I believe you learn more in true hands-on experiences. This experience has opened doors that I never really thought about, such as archaeological surveying and artefact curating, that I now have many paths set ahead of me. I would also like to mention that the great friendships I made throughout the course of this program are second to none and I learned as much from them as I did from the amazing supervisors and academics.

Cutting 16, aka the best cutting.

Our amazing group of students and interns.

As I sit here and reflect on the beginning of my first semester as a college student, one big thing stands out: London Honors. The class, the people, and the trip all hold a special place in my heart and I don’t think I would look as fondly on the last four months without them. Throughout the semester the lectures I attended for what I called my “London Class” were interesting; but, nothing really hit home until the actual trip came around. The 9ish days I spent in London right before Christmas became some of the best experience of my life. People I barely knew became lifelong friends and a lot of the lessons we learned in class came up in our travels. While in the US, most of us students thought researching the underground system and practicing getting on and off the Tube was useless; but, when 200 people are crowded at a station, our lessons proved very useful. London Honors gave me reasons to get out of my comfort zone and experience life for what it is: fun and beautiful. This experience solidified my desire to travel abroad, as it was my first international trip, and solidified my choice to want to study abroad further into my academic career at OSU. After my trip to London I began to compile a list of other places I want to study or visit and I would love to go back to London too. Being a history major London was full of awesome information and academically stimulating experiences but the social and cultural aspects were just as important. London Honors has shown me that I am living within a small part of my comfort zone and that if I really want to experience everything life has, I need to take chances and live a little more. I can’t thank this trip enough for all of the good times and good experiences it brought. From our recitations on Monday nights to playing euchre in the hotel lobby for two hours, this whole experience has been something I will never forget. I highly recommend this course to any freshman honors student as it will bring lifelong friends and memories as well as a fun class with interesting content.