Student Snapshot: Maddy Tevonian follows her interest in religion, mythology

Maddy Tevonian, a sophomore double majoring in religious studies and art history, decided to attend Lawrence for numerous reasons. She liked that Lawrence was the perfect distance from her home without feeling too far away and her financial aid and scholarship offers were generous. However, the deciding factor in her decision came after an overnight shadowing trip with a student host. Tevonian was shown the campus with her host, touring the residence halls, classes, and getting a glimpse into life on campus.

“Her and her friends treated me as if I was one of them,” Tevonian said of the student guide. “My host took me around on the evening I was staying with her and texted friends that she had made in each of the residence halls so that I could come see a room in each hall.”

Since coming to Lawrence, Tevonian has loved her classes. She has always been passionate about studying mythology and religion and was pleasantly surprised when she found that she could pursue a degree in her areas of interests. Then after taking an intro course in art history, she found that it fit perfectly with her interests in religious studies.

Although still early in her college career, Tevonian knows that she wants to attend grad school and then eventually work in a museum as a researcher or possibly a curator. She has expressed a desire to address issues of ethical curation of art and artifacts.

“I’d enjoy working to be part of the solution, such as returning items like totem poles to the Indigenous peoples they belong to and making models or 3-D scans so visitors can still learn about them.”