RIPON — Jillian Heidenreich, class of 2021, was among Ripon College anthropology students who recently discussed the impact of their studies on their lives. The parents of Heidenreich are William Heidenreich, Monroe, and Beth Heidenreich, Monroe.

At Ripon, a major in anthropology and minor in cultural anthropology are offered in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. The faculty are Ursula Dalinghaus, visiting professor of anthropology; Jacqueline Clark, professor of sociology; and Marc Eaton, associate professor of sociology. Anthropology courses at Ripon equip students with the tools for understanding culture as learned and shared; for recognizing how different domains of social life are interconnected; for practicing grounded, ethically informed, and collaborative research; and for translating these insights through intercultural communication and real-world applications that address inequality and contribute to creating a more diverse and inclusive society

Anthropology at Ripon has contributed to student success in applying to graduate programs in fields such as rehabilitation counseling and gerontology, in interdisciplinary training in fields including sociology, history, art history and museum studies, business and finance, psychology, philosophy and religion, and preparation for law school.

“My anthropology courses at Ripon College have been some of my favorites,” Heidenreich said. “These courses have helped me to consider the experiences of people with different lives from me without comparing their decisions to ones that I have been able to make because of the opportunities I have been afforded. I knew that I wanted to take anthropology courses when I was choosing colleges, so the fact that Ripon had an anthropology department was a big reason that I decided to attend Ripon College.

“I become happier with this decision every year and I have walked away with my anthropology courses with the knowledge that I am becoming a more well-rounded person with every course. Being open to the experiences of other people and learning about why people make the decisions and hold the beliefs that they do is going to be a trait that will help me to be understanding of the problems and situations that I learn about in the world and through my career as an attorney.”