Veronica is a student at Western Oregon University. She is getting ready to start her junior year in her pursuit of a Bachelor’s of Science in Anthropology with a minor in Forensic Anthropology. She currently holds two Associates degrees in Business related fields. As the first person in her family (for as long as can be traced back) to earn an associate’s degree, she will also be the first in her family to also achieve a bachelor’s.
Veronica is a mother of three children, a wife, a full time student, a full time employee and a tribal member. As a Grand Ronde Tribal member, Veronica was especially interested in the 2015 Archaeology field school in Grand Ronde. She is the Collections Supervisor at the tribe’s museum and cultural center where she has been for the last five years. This field school allows her a rare opportunity in many aspects. She will be learning skills that will directly relate to her job, be a part of something that has never happened before and be earning credit towards her degree. Her place in the community will allow her the ability to serve as a bridge between the community and the students at UW.
Born and raised in Oregon, Veronica has strong connections to the area being studied. She hopes to help her peers learn more while also learning valuable skills herself. With firsthand knowledge of curation practices, it is her hopes to help teach the future archaeologist some important skills about handling artifacts that they will be able to use in their future careers. She is looking forward to all that comes with attending a field school and especially meeting her peers.