Pursuing Passions featuring Samuel I. Gunter

"An incredible discovery in this field that excites me is the decoding of the Herculaneum scrolls," shares Samuel I. Gunter, winner of a 2024 National Merit $2500 Scholarship. "These scrolls are charred and were buried after the famous Mount Vesuvius eruption in Pompeii. Because of their state they cannot be opened without being destroyed, and consequently we can't yet read them. But due to recent advances in artificial intelligence, papyrologists have been able to decode the charred insides for the first time. This is exactly the type of thing I would love to be involved with." Samuel is studying ancient Near Eastern studies at 美国杨百翰大学 with an emphasis in the Hebrew Bible. "I have always loved ancient texts, and everything related to folklore and religion is a fascinating study topic for me," he says. "I love all of anthropology, so I think this degree can jump me into a very large range of graduate studies I would enjoy."

Samuel additionally plans to take electives in music, computer science, math, and economics. "I would say don't simply take the classes you are expected to. . . . I would also say don't count yourselves out of anything," he urges high school freshmen. "You might just find out you were selected for something you weren't expecting . . . This [NMSC Scholarship] is a very good example. . . . It's exciting to tell my friends I managed to even be a possible recipient. This is one of those things I plan on putting in resumes and future applications."