Local mom of four adult children shows it is never too late to follow your dream

Jennifer Vesper has been interested in archeology since she was a child. “I am fascinated with the stories behind what makes us who we are today,” commented Vesper. “To be able to piece together the past by uncovering fragments of our history, enabling us to tell someone's lost story is just fulfilling to me.”

After graduating from high school,  she looked into different programs. She started as most did at that time by taking general education credits. However, by the time she got to the point she could take courses for her major, Vesper was pregnant with her first child. She decided that a degree in archeology just wasn't feasible for a soon-to-be mom and ended up dropping school altogether to be able to support her husband through his degree and stay home with their kids. 

Fast forward several years. With Vesper's children getting older, she started working at Weber State University as the Outreach Coordinator for the Automotive Technology department. “As I was going around to high schools telling these students to follow their dreams and take advantage of this opportunity to get ahead, I realized that I was settling for a degree that I didn't love just because it was practical,” said Vesper. “I finally decided that now that my children are all adults, I could do anything I want. The world was once again my oyster. That realization really invigorated me and I immediately met with the Anthropology department to change my major.”

She signed up for archeological field school through Weber State University's Study Abroad program. Her introduction to Archeology courses sealed the deal for Vesper. During spring semester she took a Castleology course where the instructor talked about the time she spent digging and attending school in England and Ireland. “She told us about a field school in Ireland and I just could not stop thinking about it,” said Vesper. “I finally decided that opportunities like this don't come along every day and I needed to just bite the bullet and sign up.” WSU partners with Dundalk Institute of Technology and Blackfriary Archeological School to offer students hands-on excavation and post-excavation experience at a Medieval Dominican Friary. 

While it is a relatively large investment to pay for tuition at the sister school, meals for a week and room and board, Vesper decided it was an investment in her future and “just took the plunge.”

Although Vesper will be 50 in a few months, has had two complete ACL reconstructions, a lower back fusion and a cervical spine fusion, she wasn't going to let any of these challenges stop her. 

“This was my dream,” she exclaimed. “When I got off the plane I was all alone in a foreign country." No other students traveled directly with her. After taking the bus and all her luggage to the homestay, where Jenny, her homestay mom was there to greet her, she was on her way. Jenny and her husband John never had children of their own, but take care of many neighborhood children as well as housing students for the local archeological dig. Being the same age, Jenny and Vesper along very well. “They were absolutely amazing humans. It was a weird feeling to have someone else taking care of all the meals, packing me a lunch, making sure all my weekend plans were solid choices, they were just phenomenal hosts.” 

The first day on the dig students signed up for their courses and toured a more intact friary so that they had a vision of what they would be looking for as we explored the ground at their dig site. 

Hands-on fieldwork started immediately on the second day, learning a lot very quickly. “Being immersed in the work really is the best way to learn,” Vesper commented. They were taught to make a site plan as they extended one of the existing cuttings, realizing that you actually use the Pythagorean Theorem in the real world! 

Vesper said that each day they would learn new techniques, new ways of seeing the stratigraphy and new perspectives on being able to spot pieces of medieval animal bone and pottery. “We even found what we believe was a prehistoric charcoal pit, though it still needs to be dated before we know for sure.”

Because this was a school course, students had to take field notes as if they were actually on a job site. They had to make field sketches, fill out feature sheets and document their findings for the day. Vesper was literally in the trenches using a pick axe (or mattock as they call it), shoveling dirt and troweling back the more sensitive areas. “It was the hardest physical work I have done in my adult life, but it was so rewarding!” She continued, “They had to kick me out at the end of the day. I just wanted to keep going so that we could figure out what was going on in that spot, but once you figure out what one spot is or more often what it isn't, there is a new spot you are just as excited about.”

Vesper said she loved the camaraderie with the other students and the instructors Fin, Laura and Mark. She said they were so knowledgeable and approachable. “They were so excited to talk about the site and just a dream to work with. "I have never learned more in a four-week period," she revealed. 

 She thought it would be awkward to be the oldest person there, but when people are all doing what they love, working toward the same goal, she observed that you don't even see the age difference.

With over 30 students in the group, only two were from WSU, the rest came from all over the US and Canada, Vesper said she made lifelong friends even though most were in their 20s.  

Weekends were spent traveling, ofttimes going in groups together. They saw the famed Cliffs of Moher, kissed the Blarney Stone and visited the beautiful gardens at Muckross House in Killarney. They also visited the Hill of Tara during the summer solstice and danced with the fairies. “It was great craic, Gaelic for fun.” 

Vesper highly recommends the homestay experience. “It really immerses you in the culture and getting to know customs and local lore really helps you to have a better idea of the story behind the things you are digging up.” 

Vesper concludes that this four-week trip with the Study Abroad program is such a good introduction to what working in the field will be like. She also added that it was “absolutely life-changing." λ