Leslie Xavier

Art History

Architecture, art, and archaeology have always been my passions. While completing my college degree has been a lifelong goal, family responsibilities have taken precedence in my life. Through work and learning experiences, I have done well for myself. After learning drafting, I became a bridge designer and later a project architect. It had been a possibility to obtain registration as an architect by substituting a degree with a combination of tenured experience and education, but I was forced to abandon this to move to Italy. I am presently pursuing a degree in art history that aligns well with my current desires, education, and experience.

I subscribe to a personal program of volunteerism. I have been involved for two years with the Naples International Archaeological Society, of which I am president. I have been challenged to bring the organization back to its roots to help foster the NATO community's interest in the archaeology, architecture, and history of Italy. I have volunteered the past three seasons working in Pompeii doing fieldwork with both UMUC and Pompeii Food and Drink, a program sponsored by UMUC professor Betty Jo Mayeske.  While living in Annapolis, I organized and executed a relief trip to Mississippi in the days following Hurricane Katrina. I drove by myself to Mississippi and delivered donated supplies. I have also been involved in a number of other volunteer efforts from being a docent at the Paca House to painting the homes of elderly.

At this time, I hope to continue to use my skills to demonstrate the positive presence of the United States abroad - to be an example of the ingenuity, determination and, above all, the empathy that makes us great. I believe that we are, as a people, what all nations should strive to be like.