By Allie Nigro, Online Editor-in-Chief

Recovering artifacts from the 1500s, creating diagrams, virtual models and putting your hands on something that hasn’t been touched in 600 years. Not many people ever get the chance to experience this. Though for First Flight High School’s new college adviser, Bryanna Ledbetter, archaeological digs are just the beginning of her fascinating story.

Ledbetter grew up in the small town of Hudson, North Carolina, and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2022, where she started out majoring in archeology.

“I started doing archaeology and I thought, before I get too deep into this program, I want to go excavating and see if this is for me,” Ledbetter said. “I was very lucky to be part of one of the field schools through UNC Chapel Hill where we excavated in Hillsborough, North Carolina.”

This excavation took place in a Native American site from times prior to European contact.

“It was phenomenal. I’ve never done anything like it,” Ledbetter said. “I didn’t realize how many misconceptions I had about archaeology. It’s so meticulous and methodical and I never would have expected that. A lot of people think we just dig up dinosaurs, but it’s more than just digging in the ground.” 

Ledbetter has always had a love for history and described this excavation as a very “transformative experience.”

“The feeling of pulling something out of the ground and you’re like ‘Oh my god, I’m the first person to touch this in 600 years’ is absolutely indescribable,” Ledbetter said.

Though Ledbetter enjoyed her time studying archaeology, she realized it wasn’t her longtime plan. The discoveries were a lot of fun. But the hard labor of leaning over and digging in dirt for hours on end?

Not so much.

“I love archaeology and I have a lot of respect for the field, but I wasn’t ready to commit to that kind of physical labor,” she said.

After making this decision, Ledbetter transitioned into studying history. She originally focused on the ancient and medieval world, starting with Rome in the ancient Near East. This past year she took a turn and focused her studies on the medieval period.

“My honors thesis was looking at depictions of the undead and purgatory in the 12th century British Isles,” Ledbetter said. “So, essentially, medieval Zombies.”

After writing this 85-page thesis, Ledbetter wanted to take a pause in her studies, leading her to the Outer Banks and the role of college adviser.

“I had an adviser through a College Advising Corps program when I was in high school and she was absolutely fundamental to getting me to UNC,” Ledbetter said. “I knew I wanted to be the next ‘her’ in a way.”

Although she specializes in college advising, Ledbetter does all kinds of post-secondary planning. 

“I definitely don’t just focus on college because I understand it’s not the right path for everybody,” Ledbetter said. “I don’t want to force anyone into going to college who doesn’t want to because I think you can definitely be successful without it.”

She has been helping numerous students with the Common App, essays and even coming into classrooms to talk with students about the application process as a whole.

“When teachers ask me to come to their class I ask if there is anything specific they want me to talk about, because I can make a presentation on anything,” she said.

After First Flight went without a college adviser last year, counselors are very grateful for everything Ledbetter is doing to help students with post-graduate plans.

“It definitely frees up some of our time,” counselor Amy White said. “She’s helping students communicate with college representatives and really is just that extra hand to focus on that particular college field.”

With the school being at full capacity, White explains that Ledbetter couldn’t have come at a better time.

Ledbetter has helped a lot of students realize that they can make a career out of their interests and take paths that they never knew existed.

“The best part for me is seeing the diverse interests and what people want to do and how they’re planning to navigate that,” Ledbetter said. “I’ll have students come to me interested in something that they don’t even realize they can make a career out of.”

Given the type of advising program Ledbetter is doing, she will only be able to work as a college adviser at FFHS for two years. Because of this, she has begun to make plans for her next chapter in life.

“I’m going to look at some international programs and try to get my Master’s in history so I can keep doing my research,” Ledbetter said. “What I do with purgatory and the undead is very underrepresented in medieval scholarship, so there’s not a lot of secondary source material on it.”

Senior Allie Nigro can be reached at 23nigroal20@daretolearn.org.