Arik Scapellato

  • Senior, English and Anthropology double major

I am very grateful to be invited to Phi Beta Kappa. When I transferred to UWM for my Sophomore year, I wasn't sure what my future would hold. I'd quickly discovered at UW Platteville that engineering was not the path for me; I was interested in Anthropology and was looking to dive right in. After looking into the process for student research, I sent out Dr. Bettina Arnold an email asking about joining in on her research. While I didn't end up joining her on that project, she set me up for success. She acted not only as a good professor but a great mentor, helping me navigate the anthropological field at UWM and pointing me the opportunities I needed to realize my interest in archaeology. More than a few times I've asked myself how far I would've gotten without the open amicability of Dr. Arnold and a number of other UWM staff. With any luck, I might continue to work with them after graduation; I intend on joining UWM's Cultural Resource Management program once I've finished my last year of schooling, leaving with Anthropology and English majors as well as a GIS minor.