Alexandria Sambrano (she/her)
Major: Anthropology
Minor: Biology & Geology
Graduation Month/Year: May 2025
Board Position: President
What are some experiences you have had within the field of anthropology?
I have had several! Most notably, I was heavily involved in archaeological research during high school, including a couple field excavations. My favorite was through Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado. The civilization studied in this particular project was the ancient Pueblo, the people responsible for building immense cities along the southwestern landscape of the US such as Chaco Canyon. Furthermore, I have been a member at the Penn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. With my membership, I have gained exclusive access to many talk sessions and events that bolstered my connection to the field. My favorite event at the Museum thus far was its Día de Los Muertos celebration in 2022. More recently, my experience has grown college. For example, I was the department's biological anthropology lab assistant. I also joined several American Anthropological Association sections and interest groups as well as the American Association for Biological Anthropologists with the support of my professor. However, independently, I have been pursuing my own research project that will hopefully lead me closer to the origin of language and song.
Why are you interested in pursuing anthropology?
I grew up surrounded by anthropology! My Nana was an avid traveler and often brought home artifacts from the places she explored. I looked forward to visiting her house that was covered wall-to-wall by antiquities from around the world and inquiring about their origins. My curiosity ran rampant through those narrow and delicate hallways that smelled of old things. She was the first person to introduce me to what later became my passion. From there I fell victim to the lure of Egyptology. And by the time I was eight years old, I had taught myself to read hieroglyphics, so I could better appreciate the Ancient Egyptian's many impressive developments. My love for Egypt brought me to the gates of the Penn Museum where I once again met the familiar smell of old things. Many hours of my childhood were spent exploring its exhibits. But it was not until high school that my love for anthropology solidified. This was due to my participation in a field school that drastically altered the course of my academic pursuits. From there on, I anxiously anticipated the day that I got to practice anthropology every day for the rest of my life.
What particular field of anthropology interests you the most?
Biological Anthropology, specifically Paleoanthropology and Primatology
What does anthropology mean to you?
To me, it means connection because it is regarded generally as the study of what makes us human; and the more that you engage with the vast anthropological knowledge available, the sooner you realize that humans are more similar to each other (and all life on Earth for that matter) than they are different.
Fun Fact: I know the first fifty digits of Pi! I am also a trained vocalist (no I will not sing for you, though).
