Thankful for mentorship Ia class in Italy and Greece during January Term. two have advice. She gives it professor and advisor is invaluable. And, at the for gained from have I Hillary and ask go to can I candidly and without bias (well, perhaps with always know that as a I day,The confidence and independence that of thehaving Hillaryend different could I Ireland and took in study to get I semester a for Linfi eld. to studied abroad I had more incredible opportunities thanhaveimagined since comingdisciplines, Professor Hillary Crane has had a major impact on my bias, but she always tells me when she is trying to sway me in a education and growth as a student and world citizen. She is my certain direction). advisor and was my supervisor for a research project last summer. It’s not just technical things that I have learned from Hillary. I met Hillary my first week of college in a Cultural The discipline, focus and consideration that I have been taught by Anthropology class. I didn’t really know what anthropology her will serve me in any project I take on. I have an unfathomable was and I took the class because I knew that it entailed studying amount of gratitude for her because she has had a tremendous other cultures. Just one class with Hillary led to my decision impact on my education and my life. to add anthropology as a second major. Since then, Hillary – Gabi Leif ’14 has been a backbone in my Linfield education. (I also owe my awareness of my use of metaphors to Hillary’s Language and Culture class, which I took last fall.) Her enthusiasm and incredible intellect constantly inspire me to ask more questions, think more deeply, and foster a hunger for experiences beyond my everyday existence. This past summer I was honored to join Hillary in her research on celiac, an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten. Working with her was challenging, exciting and at times terrifying. In theory I knew how to do research from experience in previous classes. But this was the real world and I was intimidated by the thought of doing research for someone whom I hold in such high esteem. Hillary is one of the best. She is a formidable teacher and holds her students to the highest standard. I distinctly remember a conversation in which she explained her method of teaching. “I send you students out into the field with no idea of what you’re looking for or how you’re supposed to gather the information. It isn’t until you come back from that experience that we break down the proper way to do fieldwork.” This might sound like a difficult way to learn (and it is), but I have learned more from this method of teaching than any other. Hillary pushes you out of the boat, whether you can swim or not, and watches you flounder for a while (occasionally shouting out encouragement) then pulls you back on board and asks you to explain what you learned. Then she pushes you right back into the water to implement those lessons. Gabi Leif ’14 and Hillary Crane, associate professor of anthropology 2 0 - l i n f i e l d m a g a z i n e Winter 2013
Linfield Winter 2013
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