Delayne Breslin, a Spring 2025 graduate, is a Classical Civilization major with a minor in Mediterranean Art & Archaeology. A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honor Society, Delayne served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for “Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology” and excavated at the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project in Greece for two summers. Delayne says that, although she started out her academic journey planning to become an accountant, her first trip to Greece convinced her to make the switch to a Classics major. She credits the Classics department’s encouraging faculty and her supportive peers with helping her discover her passion for Greek archaeology. Next year, Delayne will continue to work at the Carnegie Museum of Art & Natural History while applying to Master’s programs. Congratulations, Delayne!
Luciana De Jesus, a Spring 2025 summa cum laude graduate, is a double major in Classical Languages and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, with a certificate in Writing. Luciana has also earned a Bachelor of Philosophy with her thesis, entitled “Queering the Boundaries of Lesbos: Sappho Beyond Exclusionary Lesbian Ideologies,” which has won the first-place Robert S. Marshall Prize in Writing in the BPhil category. Luciana is a member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society and was the recipient of a D. Mark Possanza Equity in Classics Fellowship, which allowed her to travel to conduct archival research. She has served as a student ambassador for the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences and as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for “Mythology in the Ancient World.” Luciana says that her time in college cannot be defined without her Classics degree, which has made her a better student, a better writer, and a better human. Next year, Luciana plans to take a well-deserved break while considering applying to graduate schools. Congratulations, Luciana!
Ali DeLaney, a Spring 2025 magna cum laude graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and History of Art & Architecture, with minors in German and Mediterranean Art & Archaeology, and a certificate in Medieval & Renaissance Studies. Ali has earned Departmental Honors with her thesis, entitled “The Faces of Rome: A Comparative Study of Roman Imagines and Roman-Egyptian Mummy Portraits.” During her time at Pitt, Ali served as a member and Vice-President of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, excavated at the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project in Greece, and was an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for “Death in the Ancient World.” Ali says that her Classics major has allowed her to befriend the greatest people, grow her love of the ancient world, and feel safe to be herself while studying at Pitt. Next year, Ali will be attending the University of Missouri as a Charles D. Folse Fellow, where she will pursue a Master's in Ancient Mediterranean Studies with an emphasis in Archaeology. Congratulations, Ali!
Emma Grimaldi, an August 2025 graduate, is a Classical Civilization major with a minor in Mediterranean Art & Archaeology, and has earned Departmental Honors with her thesis, entitled “Shield Devices on Greek Pottery: Meaning and Motif in Attic Black-Figure Pottery,” which has won the first-place Robert S. Marshall Prize in Writing in the Honors Thesis category. Emma is a member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society and has made the Dean’s List during her time at Pitt. Emma has especially valued her experiences excavating at the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project in Greece, smashing pots in Dr. Beeler’s class, and all the hours she spent in the Classics department’s reading room. Emma says that majoring in Classics has allowed her to pursue something she is passionate about, while also giving her comfort that her future career will continue to be something she finds fulfilling. Next year, Emma will pursue a Master’s in Classics with a concentration in Art & Archaeology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Congratulations, Emma!
Parker Logue, a Spring 2025 graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and History, with a minor in Latin. During his time at Pitt, Parker has made the Dean’s List and served as an Archives & Special Collections Assistant. Parker says that every class he took in the Classics department was one he looked forward to every week. His most memorable experiences in the Classics department include the challenges and rewards of group translation in Latin class and the complexity of his history-focused classes in the department. Classes like “Alexander and the Hellenistic Age” and “Romans in Britain,” he says, will stick with him in his research moving forward. Next year, Parker will attend the Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Congratulations, Parker!
Ethan Mancillas, a Spring 2025 summa cum laude graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and History with a minor in Museum Studies, and has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “Patriarchy vs. Aristocracy: The Intersection of Gender and Social Status in Domestic Law within the Roman Legal System,” which has won a second-place Robert S. Marshall Prize in Writing in the Honors Thesis category. A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Ethan earned a research assistantship in the History department, working on Civil War muster records, as well as a collections internship with the Anthropology department at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Ethan’s most valuable experiences have been collaborating with Classics faculty who helped him pursue his passions and interests. He says that the tight knit community of scholars in the Classics department strengthened his love of learning and helped him decide to share that love by pursuing a career in education. After graduation, Ethan plans to return home to California and pursue a Master’s in Education and teaching credential at California State University, Long Beach to become a secondary school teacher. Congratulations, Ethan!
Cody Arthur McSherry, a Spring 2025 summa cum laude graduate, is a triple major in Classical Languages, French, and Interdisciplinary Studies (Slavic Languages), with certificates in African Studies and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Cody has also earned a Bachelor of Philosophy with a thesis entitled “Sevdah, Bosnian Identity, and the Present Day Spirit of the Ottoman Empire." A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Cody has served for two years as an Ancient Greek & Latin Peer Tutor in the Classics department. Cody describes the Classics department as an extremely supportive place full of camaraderie and the professors as mentors and guides through the worlds of ancient poetry. Cody’s future plans include continuing to work in Pittsburgh while applying to PhD programs in Slavic Languages and Literatures, with a focus on the creation of Bosnian/Bosniak national identity and its relationship to the Ottoman occupation. Congratulations, Cody!
Clarke Piatt III, a Spring 2025 summa cum laude graduate, is a Classical Civilization major, and will also receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Clarke has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “Spirits, Demons, and Divinity: Tracing the Mythological Roots of Epilepsy Across Ancient Civilizations.” During his time at Pitt, Clarke has made the Dean's List and served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for “Foundations of Biology 1” and “Honors Organic Chemistry Lab.” Clarke says that, although he originally intended to only minor in Classical Civilizations, he truly found a home in the Classics department. Clarke’s most fulfilling work at Pitt has been the opportunity to develop an honors thesis project combining his two areas of interest, Classics and medicine. Next year, Clarke will apply to medical school, with a plan to pursue a career in either pediatrics or emergency medicine. He’ll spend his gap year working as a Patient Care Technician at UPMC Presbyterian, volunteering with the Red Cross, and, hopefully, continuing to pursue his interests in Classics. Congratulations, Clarke!
Cole Romanchock, a Spring 2025 graduate, is a Classical Civilization major with a minor in Mediterranean Art & Archaeology. During his time at Pitt, Cole was inducted as a member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society and interned with the Carnegie Museum of Art. Although Cole started out intending to major in Physics, he discovered that he loved Classics while reading Homeric epic and Sophoclean tragedy and studying Mediterranean warfare and Roman history. His degree, he says, has prepared him with a wide variety of skills, from analyzing Greco-Roman literature to classifying and dissecting ancient Mediterranean art and architecture. Next year, Cole will pursue a Master’s in Applied Archeology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, as part of a future career as a museum curator or in cultural resource management. Congratulations, Cole!
Sarah (Avery) Schoenberger, a Spring 2025 graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and Studio Arts, and has earned Departmental Honors with their thesis, entitled “Queer Antiquity: Understanding the Gendered Human Experience Through Art.” A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Avery has made the Dean’s List, earned a Edward Powell Award and a Betty Blockstein Levine Award from the Studio Arts department, a Dietrich School Dean’s Award, and a Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the Honors College, and was the first recipient of the D. Mark Possanza Equity in Classics Fellowship. They also served as a Fabrication Studio Assistant and an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for “Painting 2” and excavated at the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project in Greece. Avery has especially valued the freedom to explore and the support and encouragement from faculty that the Classics department has offered, which they say has shaped their art and allowed them to create a body of work they are truly proud of. After graduation, Avery plans to set up a solo art show for their "Queer Antiquity" painting series and begin making prints of their work to sell, before pursuing formal training at an atelier for classical realistic art or attending graduate school. Congratulations, Avery!
Onyx Stein, a Spring 2025 summa cum laude graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and English Writing, with a minor in Mediterranean Art & Archaeology, and has earned departmental Honors in English. A member of Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society, Onyx has won the first-place Robert S. Marshall Prize in Writing in the Course Essay category for their paper, “The Politics of Space in Sappho 31: Silence or Sound,” written for the course “Antiquity Now.” Learning ancient Greek in their first semester at Pitt allowed Onyx to discover a love for language. As they phrase it: “Languages and cultures, dead or alive, have something to offer the world today.” To them, ancient history is about community and shaping culture, learning and expressing experiences, which they hope to cultivate in the present, as well, through their writing. In the future, Onyx plans to pursue a graduate degree in Education, with the goal of becoming a professor. Congratulations, Onyx!
Grayson Varchetto, a Spring 2025 graduate, is a double major in Classical Civilization and History, and has earned Departmental Honors with his thesis, entitled “Orphism: In Mystery’s Shadow.” Although he didn’t originally intend to major in Classics, he decided to make the switch from a Classics minor to a major last year. During his time in the Classics department, Grayson has explored a variety of interests in Greek and Roman history and mythology, from the Sea Peoples to the cosmic egg, which he says has caused all of his friends to incessantly pester him with questions about Greco-Roman myth. After graduation, Grayson plans to continue working in Pittsburgh while making plans for a career in museum AV technology. Congratulations, Grayson!
Euge! Optime! Well done!