Student: Anja Schwieterman

• Alondra Martinez

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For Anja Schwieterman, a third-year graduate student in East Carolina University's maritime studies program, a childhood fascination with the ocean turned into a calling.

Growing up in Portland, Maine, Schwieterman was never far from the water. But it was a moment at age 6, watching "Titanic" on a double set of VHS tapes, that sparked a deeper curiosity.

"That really got the gears turning in my head," she said. "I became really interested in the story of the Titanic and everything just snowballed from there."

That curiosity grew into a passion for maritime history and eventually a career path in archaeology.

"I've always been most interested in history," Schwieterman said. "The next natural step for me was wanting to have hands-on experience with the field, so archaeology fits the bill."

That passion led her to ECU, a university she had known about since high school because of its specialized maritime studies program.

"There's only a handful of schools in the country that even offer this field of study," she said. "I loved that ECU was closest to home."

Now based in eastern North Carolina, Schwieterman has embraced both her program and her new environment. She credits the region's warm weather and outdoor spaces, like Greenville's Tar River Greenway, with helping her find balance during graduate school.

"The weather has genuinely been one of my favorite things," Schwieterman said. "It's helped me get outside more, and getting to study outside has been such a game changer."

Her academic journey has taken her far beyond the classroom. Schwieterman has participated in archaeological field schools - hands-on training opportunities - in places like Brunswick Town and Finland, gaining hands-on experience that has shaped her understanding of the field.

At Brunswick Town, her first field school, she jumped straight into emergency archaeology, working to document shipwreck timbers that were actively washing into the Cape Fear River.

"On our first day on the site, we were doing emergency archaeology," she said. "Some of the timbers were actively washing back out into the river while we were trying to record them."

"It was go, go, go every day for about three weeks," she said. "It was a lot for a first experience, but I wouldn't trade how valuable that experience was for anything."

In Finland, she expanded that experience internationally, collaborating with other maritime archaeologists while working along the coast.

"We were so welcomed by the Finnish people and our fellow maritime archaeologists," Schwieterman said. "I loved learning how a different country approaches the field."

One of the most exciting moments of her fieldwork came when she was part of an ECU maritime studies team working on timbers from an 18th century Spanish shipwreck.

"Getting to work on a wreck that has been reported on across the globe really makes you feel like you're a part of something huge," she said.

Outside of fieldwork, Schwieterman works in preservation and conservation at Joyner Library. There, she repairs books, restores historical materials and assists with exhibits across multiple collections.

"We do a lot of paper and book repairs since the collection is primarily books," she said. "I've done everything from fixing tears in pamphlets to adding a whole new cover set on an 1800s cookbook."

The role has given her a different perspective on archaeology, one that focuses on what happens after an artifact is discovered.

"A lot of people forget that finding an artifact or site is only the tip of the iceberg," Schwieterman said. "You have to think about what is going to happen to it 10, 50 or 100 years down the line."

This dual experience has strengthened her ability to think critically about the lifecycle of historical objects.

"Now I can look at something I've found and ask where it will go after I'm done digging it up," she said.

Schwieterman credits faculty mentor Dr. David Stewart with helping shape her academic path, particularly her thesis work.

"He's so passionate about the interconnection of the coastal waterfront to the broader maritime context," she said. "It's hard for it not to be infectious."

Her thesis explores the evolution of Portland's Commercial Street waterfront from 1920 to the present through the lens of tourism, reflecting her broader interest in how the past connects to the present.

"I think that's something I'm really passionate about, how the past connects with the now," she said.

Beyond academics, Schwieterman has found meaningful connections within the ECU and Greenville communities through collaborations with local organizations and cultural institutions.

Despite a demanding schedule, she makes time for hobbies like cosplay and crafting, often building them into her routine.

"I try to put it in my planner and treat it as a non-negotiable," she said. "It helps to already be anticipating it before the week even starts."

For Schwieterman, maintaining balance is essential.

"If I start dreading something, that's when I know I need to step back," she said. "That's crucial to the longevity of any habit."

Looking back, she considers her decision to move from New England to North Carolina one of her proudest accomplishments.

"I was super nervous to move here," she said. "But it's been one of the best decisions of my life."

With a strong foundation in both fieldwork and conservation, Schwieterman is preparing for a future in archaeology where she hopes to uncover stories that connect the past to the present, one discovery at a time.