Interview with Deborah Shepherd

Deborah Shepherd is an elaborate character that is very similar to the archeological sights she excavates. Layer by layer we were able to sift through the past times and hobbies of this matchless woman in order to uncover the little details that make this individual truly unique.

Starting at the surface Shepherd revealed the generic details of her daily career. She is an Archeological professor at Anoka Ramsey, and is a doctor in her field claiming that her “special interests lie in early medieval northern European studies, from post-Roman to Viking”. She has lead numerous excavations in the North St. Paul area, and dedicates much of her spare time to helping aspiring archeologists find connections within the archeological profession.

Digging a little deeper into Deborah’s past uncovered the basic foundation that has shaped who Shepherd is today. She grew up on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio with her mother, father, and older brother Jim. Deborah says that she “remembers as a young child digging holes in ‘her’ back yard with Jim searching for dinosaur bones”. This illustrates her passion for anthropology; when asked if she had ever considered another profession Shepherd exclaims “I also seriously considered being a museum curator, but in the end I was sure that anthropology was the right path for me.”

Although incredibly fascinating to her, Archeology isn’t the only interest Deborah possesses; it is these minor details that truly break down the real Shepherd. In her spare time this professor keeps life pretty simple. She enjoys classical music, and even plays the violin. She offers voice and violin lessons to children in her neighborhood, and has participated in various local orchestras. When she is not playing melodic melodies she can be found cuddling up to a good book with her favorite cup of green tea. Shepherd states that she “enjoys the works of Jane Austen the most, and has re-read Pride and Prejudice ten times.”

Similar to the characters in Pride and Prejudice, Deborah makes her own clothing. She has been doing so for more that 30 years now, and she is quite the seamstress. At one point and time Shepherd reveals that, “Nearly half of what was in ‘her’ closet was made by ‘her’!” This only further demonstrates how highly creative and imaginative this splendid woman truly is. To top it all off Deborah has been working on a novel of her own. It is something she has been working on for a few years now, and when she manages to find the time she claims that she likes to work on it “little by little.”

As you can see, when the small layers are stripped away Deborah Shepherd proves to be a truly remarkable human being. This eclectic woman dabbles in just about everything from the sciences and discoveries of archeology to music, and even fashion. So the next time you are walking down the hall remember that when you dig a little deeper, you might make some pretty interesting discoveries about every one.

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