Navigating career exploration with courage and curiosity — that’s the Diplomat way. This summer, Katherine Briggs ’26 dove into her zeal for classical archaeology by interning at the Near Eastern Collections, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. This hands-on role empowered her to explore various facets of the field and discern what she finds most fulfilling as she plots the potential path of her career.

“This opportunity has let me try on many hats to learn which one fits,” she said. “I've had the opportunity to meet the conservation department, the curators, the archivists, and the researchers. The most fascinating aspect of my experience so far has been the peek into upper academia. Getting to see graduate students actively flesh out their research alongside the museum's collection has been eye-opening for what I want for my own graduate experience.”

Katherine Briggs ’26

Major: Classics

Minor: Anthropology

Summer Experience: Intern at Near Eastern Collections, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia

Funding Support: General Summer Experience Funds

Tell us about your summer experience. What is a typical day like?

A typical day for me at the Penn Museum starts with greeting Yousef, the man at the security desk, who gives me the department swipe card! Most of my work happens in the basement. In the morning, another intern and I sometimes join Katy Blanchard, the keeper of the Near Eastern collection, in her meetings. We learn about all the background tasks that come with being a collections keeper, including data entry and collaborating with doctoral candidates to support their dissertations with the museum's collection. For example, this summer the Near Eastern department has been joined by a researcher looking at greyware from the archaeological site of Hisar (a city and district in India), and I assist in pulling pieces she has requested to look at from the shelves. In the afternoon, I return to the basement to begin photographing, rehousing, and taking inventory of the museum's collection of small finds from Nippur (in Iraq), the original excavation that started the entire museum. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to fit boxes in drawers.   

How has your F&M journey prepared you for this experience? 

I feel that being at F&M has prepared me for a myriad of experiences by exposing me to many disciplines. My major is in classical archaeology, but by working with my professors, I've expanded my academic horizons to include sites from all over the world. The biggest thing I would say that F&M has given me is a global perspective on my studies.

What has been the most fascinating aspect of your experience so far?

The most fascinating aspect of my experience so far has been the peek into upper academia. Getting to see graduate students actively flesh out their research alongside the museum's collection has been eye-opening for what I want for my own graduate experience. Being able to study the collection alongside Ms. Blanchard, who is deeply knowledgeable about the artifacts, having studied Near Eastern archaeology herself, is also fascinating. Any question I ask about the material I'm holding in my hands, she has an answer!   

How has this experience helped you along your chosen career path?

This opportunity has let me try on many hats to learn which one fits. Ms. Blanchard has allowed the other intern and me into her daily tasks of being a collections manager, which has exposed me to many different departments and considerations in museums. I've had the opportunity to meet the conservation department, the curators, the archivists, and the researchers. I've had to consider questions like “What is the smallest box I could put this artifact in, so that I can fit the most in this drawer, but not harm the object?” or “What are the sandwich options at the cafe today?” Ms. Blanchard has allowed us to glimpse into her world of museum loans, data entry, and inventory. There are way more moving parts than I could ever see in a month.

Looking back on your college search, why did you choose F&M?

Looking back on my college search, I definitely chose to visit F&M based on their online pictures. That doesn't sound great, but once I visited, I learned about all the ways the College supports students academically and socially, and along their career paths. Coming from a smaller high school, I wanted a college with small class sizes. I've found that in smaller classes, I have more of an opportunity to connect with my professors, which really makes me feel confident in the class material. But initially? Definitely the landscaping....