Classical Studies Students Summer Studies

Every summer, Classical Studies students leave the classroom and venture out into the world.  We are incredibly grateful to have funds to support our students in these endeavors, in the form of the Hogan Fund and the Willa Lawall fund.  This summer, our students pursued museum internships, did fieldwork, and participated in W&M’s Rome Pompeii Summer Program. Here, we describe some of their experiences and encourage all students thinking about 2027 to get in touch!  

Hands On Museum Experiences 

Jessi Lee Smith (’27) was supported by the Hogan Fund, and took part in an intensive internship and museum studies course with Arcadia Abroad.  She got to study the theory of how museums design their displays, and also got to work with collections. She says of the experience: "My study abroad and internship opportunities in Scotland were absolutely invaluable to me! My courses brought me to museums all over the country where I was able to analyze their contents and presentation under the instruction of a knowledgeable curator. One such museum was the Burrell Collection in Glasgow where I saw the Warwick Vase, which has its origins near Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, Italy! I learned so much about working in the field of archives at the Freemasons Hall in Edinburgh. The building is situated in New Town, a part of the city that is heavily neoclassical in architecture, and my work with the Freemasons allowed me to use the knowledge I gained from my professors here at W&M to analyze and provide insight on the artistry. This trip changed me both as a student and a person!"   

Exploring Cities: Rome and Pompeii 

Professor Panoussi took students on a three-week intensive study abroad trip, which features a for-credit course titled “The Ancient City,” which serves as a COLL 300 and can count for the major, too. But one doesn’t have to be a major to participate, and no previous knowledge is required!  The group visited sites all over central Italy, including Pompeii, Rome, Cerveteri, Sperlonga and Tarquinia. In some places, they got to go behind the scenes!  Each student takes on a special site or topic to present, and frequently this work builds to become research papers and conference presentations. Here, the students are pictured crossing an ancient street in Pompeii – these raised stones were designed so that people didn’t have to tread through storm water and various types of refuse which commonly could be found in ancient streets. 

Julia Womersely-Jackman (’26) was part of the group and was able to use the time in Pompeii to conduct original research for her thesis in progress, which examines the lived experiences of gladiators in Pompeii. She tell us: "The Rome/Pompeii study abroad trip has been my favorite W&M experience so far! The class covered so many fascinating aspects of daily life in ancient Rome, and it was amazing to visit and witness the buildings and art in person. Over the course of the trip, I learned some Italian, ate 

a ridiculous amount of gelato, and became more confident in my ability to travel and navigate new situations. My favorite place was definitely Pompeii—especially in the afternoon when it wasn’t so crowded! It was surreal to walk through homes, to wander the streets, and absorb the lively town. I was incredibly fortunate to visit the Gladiator Barracks in Pompeii, which is the subject of my Honors Thesis. Seeing the site completely changed my perspective and inspired new, exciting avenues of research. I could not recommend this program enough!" 

To Rome, Pompeii… and Beyond! 

Paige Martin ’28 also participated in the Rome Pompeii course, and from there traveled to Greece as a member of the Naxos Quarry Project (NQP).  You can read a little more about student experiences with the NQP in Summer 2026, here.