Henry Spelman

BA 2010, Combined Greek and Latin
Rhodes Scholarship 2010
Eben Alexander Prize in Greek, 2009 and 2010
Epps Prize in Greek Studies, 2009
Albert Suskin Prize in Latin, 2009
Herington Scholarship, 2007 and 2008
WHD Rouse Junior Research Fellow, Christ’s College, Cambridge

I arrived at UNC as a freshman unsure if I wanted to major in literature, history, or a foreign language.  In Classics I discovered a deeply interdisciplinary subject that combines all these interests.  I’ve been hooked ever since.  After Chapel Hill I moved to England and took a doctorate at Balliol College, Oxford.  I’ve just completed my first year as a research fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge.  I hope eventually to return stateside and begin a career as an academic.

Studying Classics at UNC was a great intellectual adventure that helped me fall in love with the subject.  Now that I’ve progressed further in my studies, I can better appreciate the quality of the teaching, resources, and community which I was lucky enough to enjoy as an undergraduate.  I took a range of classes and seminars in the department but found myself particularly drawn to ancient poetry.  An independent study with Professor William H. Race introduced me to Pindar, a Greek lyric poet who has been the focus of my research and writing ever since.

A degree in Classics is a splendid liberal arts education and good preparation for a career in much else besides academia.  Bur for those for who find that four years of study is not enough the Classics Department at UNC can provide a good launching pad to graduate school and beyond.

July 2016