Princess Rahman is an Ancient History major in the College with a premedical emphasis for post-graduate studies. Her undergraduate career is shaped by two of her most cherished academic pursuits, and she is looking forward to those intersections of principles during her study abroad in Italy. Currently, she intends to use her time abroad to supplement her research for her senior thesis. She is researching what port-city life would have consisted of for the non-elite free and freed peoples who would have lived in ancient Ostia and Portus. Her investigation seeks to elucidate the professional opportunities, financial resources, and education to which free, freed, and enslaved people would have access. She serves on the Local Grow Committee of GlobeMed, a pre-health club that partners with Prevention Point, a local clinic that addresses the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia directly. As a sustainability fellow at Bartram's Garden, she advocates for food justice and provides educational opportunities through community initiatives to promote food sovereignty. She also sits on the board for Collective Success at Penn as a mental health chair helping first-generation low-income students navigate institutions of higher learning. In her free time, she enjoys picking up a game of volleyball and adding some of Philly’s unique structures to her architectural photography collection. She is excited about having the opportunity to cement 8 semesters at Penn, learning about Roman culture with an in-person experience abroad.
During her upcoming semester, she is looking forward to...
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Traveling to Italy and making physical connections to the spaces often referenced in primary texts.
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The exposure to a greater diversity of exchanges from meeting and working with students from all over the world.
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Exploring ancient Rome’s history of social health policy over time
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Navigating and visiting new cities and engaging with the locals
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And developing an authentic palate for Italian cuisine!
