I grew up near Bemidji, MN, and moved to Iowa in middle school. After graduating high school, I lived and worked on my own for five years, spending a lot of my free time
in study. I wanted to give myself a liberal education, so I read a lot of history, philosophy, and religion, with a heavy emphasis on foundations and beginnings — the
Classics. I learned Latin too. I found my studies rewarding, and eventually decided
that I may as well make a career of it, so I moved to Iowa City and enrolled at the
University of Iowa, majoring in Philosophy and Classical Languages. I got on board with the Epsilon chapter of Eta Sigma Phi in my first semester at Iowa. The meetings were a good place to meet like-minded people, and help organize events to promote Classics in the
community. Involvement has given me opportunities to meet and trade ideas with
other Classics people across the country, and even around the world — I’ll be traveling
in Italy this summer with the help of an Eta Sigma Phi scholarship. I’m a rising junior at Iowa in 2011–12. My current Classical research interests are in ancient philosophy, particularly ancient views on ethics and the soul. I especially want to understand the evolution of western moralities from Classical Greece and Rome up through the rise of Christianity. Outside studying Classics, I enjoy playing guitar and ice hockey, lifting weights, and eating bacon.