Since graduating from UVA, I have worked as an orchestra teacher in Mississippi through Teach for America, and am now pursuing a Master’s of Divinity at Duke Divinity School. Medieval Studies enabled me to think critically about how art and religion intersect, particularly in the lives of everyday folks. My Distinguished Major Thesis in the Religious Studies department integrated material from my secondary major, Art History, and minor in Medieval Studies to examine the influence of Medieval apophatic theology on Chartres Cathedral’s design and construction. This research influenced my continued study of sacred art at Duke Divinity School. But Medieval Studies is more than the big-ticket art pieces! Did you know that a 15th-century cookbook or a 9th-century crystal can tell you just as much about religious life as stained glass cathedral windows? In the Medieval Studies program, commonplace artifacts are valuable evidence for the extraordinary richness of an average human life. Perhaps the best part about this program is the students. Some of my fondest Virginia memories involve gabbing about Saxon burials, dissecting the historical inaccuracies of Monty Python, and road tripping to touch the old wooden floors of Dumbarton Oaks. The program gave me friends and mentors I will have forever.