Since I first rubbed True Grit’s nose, UMBC has presented me with unending opportunities to be involved in its vibrant campus life. As my UMBC career shows, whatever plan you have going into your undergraduate career, you will be exposed to enough opportunities here to find yourself in a much different, and better, path.Flora Kirk’s career at UMBC has been punctuated by a seemingly unending list of internships, student activities, and academic accolades. As an ancient studies major in the Honors College, Kirk credits her department and mentors for providing her with unique opportunities and supporting her success. During her time at UMBC, she has received the Christopher Sherwin Award, Jane and Robert Shedd Award, and William and Martha Christopher Scholarship. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an Undergraduate Research Scholar. Already Kirk has pursued her interest in ancient coins through research abroad. In 2015, she traveled to the Roman Baths and worked to catalogue an extensive cache of recently discovered coins. In 2017, Kirk received a grant through the Roman Society to travel to the Great North Museum in Newcastle, UK, for further research. Kirk also received the Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship and traveled to Archaeotek Roman Villa field school in Transylvania, Romania. Building on her already extensive travel dossier, Kirk will be relocating to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, after graduation as a Fulbright Scholar to conduct research on Roman coinage, specifically on the effect of propaganda as it relates to value. Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.
Tags: AncientStudies, CAHSS, Fulbright, HonorsCollege, HumanitiesScholars, Undergraduate Research