Hardship, Hope, and the Study of Humanity: Anthropology Graduate Abigail Rose Tineo, ’25

Abigail Rose Tineo, who is graduating with a major in anthropology and a minor in English is the recipient of the SBS Student Success Award for fall 2025. The award is given to a graduating senior who is a first-generation college student.

“Receiving this award, I feel as though all of my tears, efforts, and creative expansion have amounted to something very important in this part of my academic journey and journey into adulthood,” Abigail said.

“Abby quietly sat in the front row — attentive, taking notes, and after a few weeks passed, she began to pose relevant questions, asking for clarification of complicated theoretical concepts,” wrote Linda Green, professor in the School of Anthropology. “Her work was insightful and well written.”

Abigail was drawn to anthropology by a deep curiosity about why people behave the way they do and how human societies have evolved over time. She had always loved writing too, and winning a poetry award as a Wildcat Writer in high school ultimately spurred her to pursue a minor in English.

At the end of the semester, Green asked Abigail’s class why anthropology matters. She remembers Abigail’s response as “insightful and a testimony to anthropology,” when Abigail reflected, ‘I would not have the same understanding and empathy for other peoples and cultures — their history and complexities — if it were not for the professors and students in the School of Anthropology.’

Raised in a low-income household by first-generation immigrant grandparents, Abigail faced significant obstacles on her path from early schooling to university. As the oldest sibling in a single-headed household, with financial debt to consider and younger siblings to support both emotionally and financially, her journey has been especially challenging. For the past three years, she has worked as a student assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions through the work-study program.

“Maintaining my job and schooling for the last three years has been vital in prioritizing my education while familiarizing myself with what it means to work for an educational institution,” Abigail said. “I hope my career path can begin in this environment, where I initially began to flourish.”

With plans that include finding a stable job and possibly pursuing anthropology in graduate school, Abigail reflects on the historical uncertainties of this moment through the framework the discipline has given her.

“I want anyone who is reading this to know that despite the conditions in the world, repetition and change are a constant recurrence — something I learned in anthropology — and these recurrences always make room for more mistakes, learning, and breakthroughs.” 

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