Classics

凯特琳·莫斯托瓦伊·帕克（Caitlin Mostoway Parker）

“I’ll unearth new perspectives on ancient history.” — Caitlin Mostoway Parker

As soon as Caitlin heard that UWinnipeg offered a Classics degree, she knew what she wanted to study. Since beginning her degree, she’s studied through the year and spent her summers taking part in archaeological digs. This experience affirmed her desire to study ancient culture, society, and history.

她说：“我一直对历史，语言和古代世界有兴趣。”“当我意识到我可以从事与我热衷的事业有关的职业时，这个决定很容易。”

She realizes that minority groups have often been underrepresented in Classics, but she is seeing that shift. As an indigenous woman, she hopes to bring more awareness to the lack of diversity within the field.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is the perception that the ancient world was ethnically and culturally homogenous,” she said. “This has led people to construct false narratives to promote or support their own ideas.”

Caitlin says that being part of a close tight-knit department where the professors know her well has made a huge difference to her learning experience, increasing her confidence and inspiring her future career.

She’s heard people say that you can’t do anything with a Classics degree, but she knows that’s not true. It has already opened many doors, including the chance to take part in an interdisciplinary research project digitizing ancient artefacts in UWinnipeg’sHetherington Collection.

Her dream job is to work as classical archaeologist, pairing her knowledge of ancient Greek and Rome with her love of unearthed pots and coins. When she graduates from UWinnipeg she is planning to pursue a Master’s with this goal in mind.

Studying Classics has not only opened her eyes to the past, it has helped her understand a wide variety of issues in the modern world.

“If we forget about the past, there is a danger that we’re going to repeat things,” she said. “The study of the ancient world is far more relevant to our current society than one might think.”

Advice to future students:“Follow your dreams! Classics can be a wonderful, fulfilling addition to any path you choose to take in life.”

What is Classics?

To understand the modern world, you first have to understand the past. And to understand the past, Classics is a great place to start: Greek and Roman culture, language, society, and history. Reading critically, collecting evidence, and creating compelling arguments — investigating these ancient cultures encourages valuable skill development required for the modern world. UWinnipeg’s program inspires students to problem-solve and approach issues by considering multiple perspectives — skills that are valuable in an ever-changing workforce.