Life after SCIO: alumna reads for MPhil at Oxford

We are delighted by the news that Marianna Nichols (Michaelmas Term, 2016) has accepted an offer to read for an MPhil in Roman History at St Cross College, Oxford.

A native of Iuka, Mississippi, Marianna completed her undergraduate degree in History and Religious Studies at Judson College in Marion, Alabama. Following her graduation from Judson, Marianna enrolled as a graduate student at Cornell University, where she read for an MA in Archaeology. Concerning her research interests, she writes:

Currently, I am interested in Graeco-Roman influences within Judaea during the first century CE and their effects upon localized identity formation. I am also intrigued by the alternative roles taken by textual and material expression within identity construction. While at Oxford I hope to acquire a greater understanding of how Roman politics, and perspectives, historically impacted self-perception within outlying regions of the Empire. My ultimate goal is to specialize in Classical Archaeology and teach at the collegiate level back in the states.

Remembering her time at SCIO, Marianna writes:

I participated in SCIO during my final year as an undergraduate, and I cannot express how positive the experience was for both my personal and academic development. Though I always planned on attending graduate school, I am certain that without my experience with SCIO I would not now be enrolled at Oxford. However, SCIO also provided me with a truly supportive academic environment that has fundamentally influenced the way I understand “community.”  The programme gave me an opportunity to form close bonds with a diverse range of academically-inclined individuals. Some of these individuals remain among my closest friends and have been a true source of inspiration within my current academic efforts. I am thankful that this programme exists and grants students such an exceptional opportunity to hone their engagements with their chosen fields of study.

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