Esther Grace Brenner
Classics
Seoul, South Korea
What was your favorite class and why?
I had the pleasure of taking a course on Greek sculpture with Professors Verity Platt and Annetta Alexandridis. The course included travel to Greece during the semester, and I had the opportunity to deliver my presentations in Delphi, at the Acropolis Museum and in front of the Erechtheion, which served as the foundation for my senior honors thesis. I learned immeasurably in that course and will never forget the awe of beholding the sites and the art, and of lingering in the sweet scent of the orange blossoms throughout Athens.
The year prior, during an autumn of particularly bright leaves and soft rains, I took a course on Shakespeare taught by Professor Philip Lorenz. The poetic flow of each class discussion, coupled with the beautiful lectures, remains with me to this day as a memorable season in which life itself was imbued with meaning in the search for understanding and expression.
Certain courses brought unique routines for me. Byzantine archaeology with Professor Benjamin Anderson led me to repeated visits to the Cornell University Library Rare and Manuscript Collections, during which I felt privileged to view and study facsimiles and other precious books and materials for the course.
A completely analog film photography class with Professor Christine Elfman kept me in the darkrooms for more than 20 hours in certain weeks and culminated in a final handmade book that I treasure. I also took different sailing courses for a whole year, which allowed me to sail every weekend, and still has me dreaming of being back on the lake.
What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?
I am very proud of the Classics Society at Cornell, which I revived with Professor Todd Clary in 2024, and for which I had the honor of serving as president for the past two years. Beginning with around 30 members, the Classics Society currently has over 230 members, including both undergraduate and graduate students from all fields of study across campus.
Since then, the Classics Society has curated academic and cultural programming, including professor talks, philosophical debates, career panels, visits to the Met and the Johnson Museum, a plaster cast tour, a pottery event and more. I am beyond grateful for the wonderful team of officers we have assembled over the past two years.
Working as the Print Room & WIRE Project (Watermark Identification in Rembrandt’s Etchings) intern at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art has been a highlight of my time at Cornell. My supervisor, Andrew C. Weislogel, demonstrates meticulous care in everything he does, and it has been a pleasure to learn from him in so many ways. There are so many wonderful people who work at the museum who have filled my days with warmth and inspiration, making me always look forward to my next shift.
My honors thesis allowed me to devote hours of intensive reading, access valuable insight and guidance from my advisor and present my research at three different conferences this semester. I have also had the opportunity to work in film while here at Cornell, with two separate screenings of my work in the Kiplinger Theater. Last summer, I had the opportunity to do archaeological fieldwork in Cyprus under the direction of Professor Sturt Manning, contributing to the excavation and documentation of a Late Bronze Age elite settlement.
How have your beliefs or perspectives changed since you first arrived at Cornell?
The past few years have cultivated within me a broader sense of awe. I have been allowed to discern with greater clarity that which speaks directly to my soul, and to recognize what essentially holds timeless value; to learn to dwell in a beautiful, beloved life now, not living in the past nor projecting into the future.
I believe more solidly in forgiveness and the priceless value of choosing the courage to become one who loves more than merely wanting to be loved; realizing that it is more fulfilling to give than to receive, and that a state of mind grounded in grace transcends circumstance.
I perceive that all is a gift, nothing deserved. I have found that no time is wasted in the search for all that is true and beautiful.
Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?
My resilient mother and poetic father have been the greatest influences on my education. My mother has always had the greatest joy toward me, celebrating my smallest accomplishments and endlessly lifting me up. I am forever grateful to my father for sharing his love of music and ancient philosophy with me over the years, influencing me to study the classics. I desire to honor my family, my heritage and my faith in Christ by carrying forward such values as I pursue truth and beauty.
Here at Cornell, I have been deeply inspired by more faculty and staff than I could list here, but especially through my thesis and faculty advisors Professors Verity Platt and Annetta Alexandridis, who have made me fall in love with the classics, archaeology and art history. I am inspired by their kindness, humility, genuine outlook and incredible intellect. Through all of my teachers and beautiful friends here, I have been encouraged to engage in all I do with intention and care.
What are your plans for next year?
This summer, I am returning to Cyprus for an archaeological excavation with classics Professor Sturt Manning and a team of archaeologists. In the 2026-2027 academic year, I will be at the University of Cambridge-King’s College for my Master of Philosophy degree in global history of art and architecture.
Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 2026.
