When she started at King’s, Caroline Jones wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to pursue, but when she learned that the Early Modern Studies Program covered some of her favourite topics, including pirates, she decided to take the leap. Fully diving into the experience, she’s been Co-President of the Early Modern Studies Society since her third year, coming up with events, putting together the undergraduate student journal and running the program’s annual conference. This spring, she’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Arts with a combined honours in Early Modern Studies and history.
What inspired you to pursue Early Modern Studies?
In my first year, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t even familiar with what the Early Modern Period was, but I did some reading on the subject and talked to a friend in the program, who encouraged me to do it. I’d been interested in the Renaissance, the French Revolution and especially the Golden Age of Piracy for many years, so finding one subject that covered all of them was so exciting!
Was there a course, professor, reading requirement or experience that has had a lasting impact on you?
There were so many great professors, courses and experiences, but I’d have to say Dr. Simon Kow. I ended up taking a class with him every semester from my second year onwards, and he was my thesis supervisor as well. I was so excited to take his Pirate and Piracy course (being a bit of a pirate nerd myself) and absolutely loved it, but the Ideas of the Sea and Seafaring course and Religious Warfare and Political Theology were also some of my favourites.
How did your extracurricular endeavours enhance or shape your experience?
I joined the Early Modern Studies Society (EMSS) as the Second-Year Representative and I’ve been one of the Co-Presidents since my third year. EMSS has been such a wonderful community, and I’ve really loved coming up with events, putting together Babel (the Early Modern Studies undergraduate student journal) and running the annual conference. Having participated in and run a conference for a few years now is an especially big asset for my future academic career. I now know what goes into running a conference, so it’s a lot less intimidating to submit to and attend other conferences.
What’s one thing from your time at King’s that you’re especially proud of?
I’d have to say my honours thesis, which was on the pirate Samuel Bellamy. I was really nervous and daunted about the idea of doing a thesis at first. I’d never taken on an academic project anywhere near this big before. Yet, while it was a long and difficult journey, I also had such a fun time digging through pirate records and scholarship, and the process overall was so rewarding. I’m so glad I challenged myself to do it and so proud of how it turned out.
