Layperson Summary

For many students their time at college is a chance to discover who they are and to
explore new hobbies and extracurricular activities. For me it has been a growing experience both
internally and socially. It has allowed me to flourish intellectually and has fostered
interdisciplinary interests and self-exploration, or as stated in my essay a chance to practice selfarchaeology. As I reflect on what the past four years have meant to me I am forced to ask the
questions, who am I now that my college career is coming to a close, in what ways have I
changed as well as stayed the same and does any of it matter? I will attempt to answer these
questions using scholar Ian Hodder and author Darius Cikanavicius definitions and explanations
of self-archaeology as an intellectual framework to guide the discussion and find meaningful
answers to my questions that help me contextualize my experiences here at UNC Charlotte.
Self-archaeologyalso known as archaeology of selfis the practice of self-exploration
and self-learning and personal growth that comes from self-analyzing and self-exploration. In my
portfolio I have attempted to illustrate how the events of my college career as well as the people
Ive met and interacted with along the way have helped redefine who I am and influenced my
development and growth over these past four years. This growth is evidence that I have indeed
developed further into a scholar-citizen who seeks learning for learnings sake and does his civic
duty as well as his philanthropic duty as a citizen. My time at this institution has molded me
through my experiences, both within and out of the University Honors Program, into a proactive
and more developed human being.
Throughout this process I have collected six artifacts that help identify what I believe to
be six of the most important pieces of my self that I have uncovered through this process of selfarchaeology. These artifacts have all played a role in my development throughout my college
career. Each represents an event or situation that has challenged or inspired me. On their own
they are memorable and important to me, but when they are brought together they help to
illustrate the changes that I have undergone over the past four years. Tying my artifacts in to my
framework of archaeology of self, the image of my development begins to take shape. But what
changes has this archaeological process influenced and how will it affect me going forward?
Perhaps even more important, has any of it mattered? Well for that information you will simply
have to read my essay.