My name is Nicole and I graduated this spring from UP with a Bachelor’s of Social Work. I’ve tried to take advantage of every opportunity made available to me while working on my degree, especially those that allow me to travel, so I couldn’t pass up such a unique way to round out my undergrad experience. I’m originally from Minnesota but moved to Portland in 2021 for school and plan to settle here (for now).
My interests lie in people- why we do what we do, where we came from and how the past has shaped our lived experiences in the present, how to make life better and more equitable for all; which is why I studied social work. I am particularly interested in how social systems are built, maintained, and perpetuate injustice. In order to understand these things, I’ve taken an interest in history so I can build context for the state of the world today. With social justice as a core value, this shades the lens through which I interpret the past, so I am very critical and draw lines between then and now. I’m very critical of the ways in which religion has shaped the course of human history and believe that it has done great harm; fueling conquest and imperialism. I hope to have many conversations about the meanings of the things we find and listen to others’ perspectives and maintain an open mind on the things I admittedly have bias against. I look forward to the challenge of holding the complex, messy truths that will exist while exhuming remains of ancient peoples in a place where many different cultures intersected and claimed this region as home.
