Caylen Blalock (Class of 2020)

Majoring in Anthropology at the University of South Alabama’s for my undergraduate program was an invaluable experience that propelled me into the career that I wanted. The faculty within the department were incredibly personable and took every opportunity to offer their students unique experiences that garnered relevant career skills. The abundance of resources offered by the professors helped me to build career contacts and made it easier to enter into the field directly after graduating. I’m often very thankful for the education I received by the professors at South Alabama and think fondly of my time spent with them.

Since graduating from USA’s Anthropology program, I have worked as a CRM field technician across the United States. I primarily spent my first few field years excavating Indigenous sites, focusing on burial features and hearths. More recently, I’ve spent my time in the Western states where I’ve been able to explore some of the country’s most beautiful wilderness. Working with Indigenous monitors, however, has been the most meaningful work I’ve done. Bridging the gap between academia and the human experience is what motivated me to pursue anthropology in the first place. Being able to take part in bettering tribal relations within archaeology is exactly what I hoped to be able to do with my degree, and I’m grateful to the department for opening the door to that opportunity.