Hello. I am a high schooler (incoming 10th grader) who has a blossoming, and short relationship with anthropology. Right now my main focuses are in linguistic and cultural anthropology, and this blog will be documenting my journey to developing a relationship with anthropology that is more refined, mastered, advanced. Taking care of a blog (one that most likely only I will see) daily is tiresome, but since I am also trying to improve my writing skills, I will update it as much as I can.

Saying that I am interested in linguistic and cultural anthropology is already too broad, so here is a more specific outline of my goals:

• Getting acquainted with my local Native American tribe.
  • I want to learn about their culture, relationship with neighboring tribes, and languages.
  • I will conduct interviews and reach out to any local speakers on the issue.
    • I already have two in mind — one is an author and the other is a jewelry maker.
• Speaking to a local professor about ways to get involved and eventually sit in on a class.
  • Again, I already have one in mind, but the logistics of this are complicated (How can I sit in on a college class if I’m in school? What will we talk about and when? That kind of stuff.)
• Visiting the National Museum of the Native American in New York.
  • I live near the area already, this will not be a problem.
  • In the future, I would like to volunteer/intern their to get a deeper understanding of the exhibits and displays there.
• Read literature, books, and anything I can about anthropology.
  • I can do this one immediately. Great.

I probably bet you’re thinking, “Whoa there, that’s quite a hefty list, slow things down a little won’t you buckaroo!” And you’re right, that is a lot, which is why I’ll be taking it slowly with my 3 years of high school left.

It’s almost goodbye for now, but before I go, let me tell you a little about myself and the journey that’s ahead. I am an Asian-American that lives on Long Island who likes to read, eat, sleep, and hyperfixating on things. This journey started some time ago, when seeds of ideas on what I wanted to do in the future were planted in my head by many around me. My current goal is to double major in anthropology and journalism, and eventually get my masters in anthropology (maybe even a PH.D, but I’m getting ahead of myself). Then I will teach at a high school until I do something else. Maybe I’ll stay, maybe I’ll become a professor, maybe I’ll do something completely different. But here is my current so-called “experience”:

1. I’m the editor of entertainment on my school newspaper.
2. Took some writing classes in the summer.
3. I took AP Human Geography (I got a 5, woohoo!), which I am told has some level of anthropology weaved into it.

And here are some a resources I found along the way if you want to follow a similar journey as me:

• The American Anthropology Association (https://americananthro.org) – Great resource and even has a K-12 tab (Learn and Teach —> K-12 Resources) which has syllabi, tips, and intern oppurtunities.
• Quora Post (https://www.quora.com/Im-a-high-school-student-immensely-interested-in-anthropology-How-can-I-fuel-that-interest-and-become-involved-in-it-outside-the-classroom) – My favorite answer is the one by Benjamin Wintersteen which has some great tips and suggestions.
• Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/7e2xx8/good_anthropology_books_for_a_high_school_student/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/comments/3atzyh/easiertoread_ethnographies_for_high_school/) – Another great resource for more niche questions. If you’re more into archaeology I recomend talking to u/brasdefer!