Visiting Inspiration Point and hiking into the Grand Tetons was an incredible experience included in the Wyoming program. We crossed the lake on a small boat in the early morning for the hike up to one of the most famous viewpoints in the West. The park itself was extremely crowded, but our group managed to get some privacy further back on the trail. We encountered a large female moose grazing off the trail, as well as an assortment of chipmunks and squirrels. The program provided great wildlife sightings, including elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and a bald eagle. We were able to see all of these animals in an environment that was both remote and beautiful. The small group size and freedom to explore made the program a fantastic choice for students looking to experience the American West and get a necessary writing requirement done.

I am finishing my time at Pitt with a Spring 2027 graduation, and I chose Wyoming for my final summer because the program offered many things I needed. I would encourage any Frederick Honors student to check whether the offered course helps with gen eds or their major. This year, ANTH 1660 was an incredible opportunity for me to learn about a new field despite having no experience in anthropology. It is exactly what general education is supposed to be: I was able to dip into a new field and way of thinking with support from a professor. The program is structured to allow maximal individual freedom in topic choice and the type of paper you write, while still providing individual support throughout the writing process. I became a stronger writer through the class, which is among the most important transferable skills to develop before graduation, regardless of the field I choose to enter.

The Wyoming program has enormous value to me, even outside of the classroom and the activities advertised on the main program page. On the drive between Lander, WY and the AMK Ranch property, we stopped at the National Bighorn Sheep Center, where the group played a bighorn-sheep-themed board game that was both hilarious and informative. It was places like this sheep museum that taught me the most about human impacts on the landscape. It walked me through the work of conservationists and scientists to protect sheep populations from parasites and diseases and the progress made towards restoring migration routes and habitat. The species recovered from near extinction in the Rocky Mountains and is making a comeback. The museum had small artifacts that fascinated me, such as a display showing the evolution of glass-eye-making techniques over time. Centering the museum was an enormous rock escarpment with taxidermy sheep from across the US and Canada.

This is a large model jackalope outside of a rest stop

Finally, there were plenty of fun moments throughout the trip. We visited a rest stop dedicated to the jackalope, a creature cryptozoologists believe is a combination of a jackrabbit and an antelope. I ate jackalope tracks ice cream, which proved to be very similar to moose tracks, and I was even able to ride an enormous jackalope. Fun rest stops and treats along the way, like my Biohazard Burrito, are part of what makes the Wyoming program amazing and something I would recommend to any Frederick Honors student.