By Shae Ryalls, a student of MA program in Maritime Civilizations, 2019-2020 Cohort.
“Hello All!
My name is Shae Ryalls. I am from the beautiful and rainy Pacific Northwest in the United States of America. Most of my 24 years were spent there besides a four-year stint in North Dakota to get my bachelors degree.
Windy North Dakota is a place where the sunsets fill the whole sky and the University of Mary sits on a hill in full view of them. My experience at UMary was delight full. I studied History, Catholic Studies, Biology and Classical Studies (two majors and two minors respectively). The programs and professors there all interact with each other and seek to draw the connections between disciplines. So, when I stumbled across the Maritime Civilizations program at the University of Haifa, I was immediately intrigued because it also seeks to be interdisciplinary.
After finishing my degree, I moved home and got a job as a barista at a local coffee shop (I can make a tasty latte, though my latte art is still a shaky). While working, I began looking at grad schools again and the University of Haifa resurfaced. I applied to several programs including the University of Haifa. Ultimately, it was both the most interesting and the most affordable of the programs. So, here I am.
The Maritime Civilizations Master’s program is fascinating. Already, we have sailed on the Ma’agan Mikhael II which is a replica of a ship that wrecked in the 5th century BC. We have many more exciting field trips, some of which include diving or zodiac trips. This will be an exciting year.
At this point, I don’t have any clear plans for what to do after I finish this program. I might continue on somewhere for a doctorate or I might teach high school or train dragons. Only God know what my next adventure will be.
Until next time!”
Graduate Life in Haifa 