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.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.