Cara van der Merwe:

Email: adkhot@r.postjobfree.com

Current Location: Bloemfontein, Free State

Drivers Licence: Valid

PERSONAL STATEMENT

I have just finished my master’s dissertation in the field of Classical Studies (Ancient History). I am a capable and committed researcher who is passionate about research, teaching and editing. I am well suited to both theoretical work and team management within an academic and professional setting. I am an enthusiastic educator and student who has constructed novel courses aimed at second and third-year university students in the fields of ancient history and Modern Fiction. I also have several years of tutoring experience, the students I tutored range from undergraduate students to honours students. I am a self-employed as a copy-editor and proof-reader for various student and working professionals. I am extremely organised and hard working.

EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION HISTORY

2020:

●Freelance proof-reader and copy-editor (References can be provided)

●Assistant beekeeper at Trans-frontier Bee Farms

●Online Course: UCT Copy-Editing

●Online Course: MITx: Becoming a More Equitable Educator: Mindsets and Practices.

2017-2019: Masters Candidate Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa

●Thesis Topic: Hecate: Representations of the Goddess in the Greek Magical Papyri

●Student Curator of the Rhodes Classics Museum

●I acted as an undergraduate-tutor (years 1/2/3) and a guest lecturer for the second and third years in Modern Fiction, teaching a course on Reception Theory and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, which uses Euripides 5th century BCE tragedy the Bacchae as an intertext.

●I ran a continuous project called, Classics Post-Grad support group (2016-2019), that aims to foster a supportive and healthy research culture within the Classics department by supervising and guiding both third years and honours students with their research tasks and preparing them for academic conferences. This support group also focused on preparing prospective post-graduates for further studies by introducing them to the variety of potential methodologies that they will be required to use in their future studies.

●Presented a paper both at the Rhodes Post-Graduate conference in August 2019 and the National CASA bi-annual conference in November 2019 titled: “Hecate beyond the walls”.

●Junior debating adjudicator for K-Day debates.

2018

●I acted as an undergraduate-tutor (years 1/2/3) and a part-time lecturer for the second and third years in Ancient History teaching an introductory course on the Papyri Graecae Magicae and the practice of magic in the Graeco-Egyptian world in the 2nd- 5th centuries BCE.

●Presented a paper at the Rhodes Post-graduate conference in August 2018 titled: “Hekate: An analysis of the attributes and representations of Hekate in the Greek Magical Papyri and related texts.”

2017

●Functioned as an undergraduate-tutor and as well as successfully hosting a series of lectures, for the second- and third-year Classics students. This lecture series was based on the wider theme of, Roman Identities, the section I taught was focused on the depiction of female practitioners of magic in Roman literary texts.

2016: Honours Student Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

●Employed as an undergraduate tutor.

●Worked as a student curator for the Rhodes Museum of Classical Antiquities, where I curated a section of the larger theme surrounding the Position of Women in Classical Antiquity. Curated a set of vitrines, which dealt with the limited ways in which Ancient women were able to express their identity, with emphasis on the changing styles of hair, clothing, jewellery and cosmetic practices in Graeco-Roman Antiquity.

2013 – 2015: Undergraduate Student Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

●Majored in the fields of Classical Studies and English Literature.

●Employed as an undergraduate tutor.

Work Experience:

2020 - Employed as an assistant Beekeeper at Trans-frontier Bee Farms.

2018-2019 - Employed by Rhodes University as a tutor to first-year Classics students.

-Employed by Rhodes University as a part-time lecturer for the Classics department and the Modern Fiction course held by the Afrikaans and Netherlandic Studies department.

2015-2017 - Employed by Rhodes University as a tutor to first-year Classics students.

-Employed by Rhodes University as a part-time lecturer for the Classics department.

2016 - Employed by Saint Andrews Preparatory School as an events co-ordinator for the Grahamstown Children’s Art Festival.

2013-2015 - Worked as a freelance photographer, doing action photography at sports events for the Kodak Photography Express Cafe.

Various internship positions at Media Companies as a journalist and Photographer: The Volksblad Newspaper (Bloemfontein), Die Stronk, Arts and Culture newspaper (Bloemfontein) and Passi Magazine (Bloemfontein).

Languages:

●English: Fluent

●Afrikaans: Fluent

●Latin: Basic 101 and 102 (The Cambridge course)

Additional Competencies and Skills:

Basic Moodle system skills

I can do blended learning using programmes like Camtasia and Screencast-O-matic.

Ability to communicate effectively (bilingual)

Adaptable to working in varying locations at short notice

Organisational skills that allow me to multitask effectively

Proven ability to report and write on a variety of topics

English/Afrikaans translation

Proof reading and Copy-editing

Photography skills

Knitting and sewing.

Bee Keeping and the making of natural beauty products (Imker since 2010)

Additional Work Experience:

Waitressing (Catch 22; Bagamoya and the Coffee Barn) (2010-2017)

Volunteer work at Animal Shelters (SPCA) and work in Township Animal Clinics with domestic and farm animals (2013-2016)

House and Pet sitting (2013-2019): References can be supplied upon request.

References:

1. Daniel Malamis: adkhot@r.postjobfree.com HOD of Classical Studies. Rhodes University, Makhanda.

2. Kihm Klopper: adkhot@r.postjobfree.com Trans-Frontier Bee Farms, Free State

Contact this candidate