While religious studies was not originally on Taylor Graham’s radar, she has found the department to be a great way to explore multiple disciplines at once.
“I kind of right away … wanted to do psychology, but I wanted to do a second major, too, just to utilize my time here,” Graham said. “I was interested in anthropology and philosophy, and then I took a religious [studies] class, and I kind of realized that it has aspects of a lot of things like history, anthropology, sociology [and] politics.”
She continued: “So I felt like that was a good option for me to kind of learn about a lot of things without having to really choose just one because I feel like religious studies covers a lot more than just religion.”
Since studying in the department, Graham has loved learning from both her professors and her peers. For her, religious studies gave her a space to explore one of her interests, without worrying if it was necessarily “practical.”
“I feel like, [for] psychology, I was doing it because it felt practical to me,” Graham said. “But religious studies — not that it’s not practical — but it was also something that I genuinely enjoyed and was interested in learning and that I felt passionate about when I talked about it.”
In addition to being a passion area, Graham emphasized how religious studies taught her how to be a better active listener. She noted conversations with her peers as being one of the best ways she has learned, as everyone brings something different to the table.
Her professors know her as someone who loves learning and approaches new opportunities with excitement.
“[Graham’s] openness to and love of learning come through in her fascinating research projects and insightful in-class contributions,” Professor of Religious Studies Dr. Lynn Neal said. “During her time at Wake Forest, Taylor has embraced the growth that comes with deep learning and I can’t wait to see what she does next.”
Graham will continue to refine the skills she learned in her undergraduate career, as well as acquire new ones when she begins her work in the Masters in Management Program at the Wake Forest School of Business. While she did not take any business courses as an undergraduate, she looks forward to learning more about a subject that she believes will help prepare her more for her future career.
“[It] wasn’t something that I originally thought about,” Graham said. “I kind of thought I would … do something more [psychology] oriented, but I’ve done a lot of like reflecting this year, and I decided that I think I need some more time to kind of refine my skills.”
Graham may not be moving physically far from The Forest, but she certainly has an adventure ahead of her as she enters the School of Business and becomes a “Double Deac.”
“I’m excited … and I am proud of myself. I’ve worked really hard for the past four years, and I’m happy that I’m graduating with my work [paying] off … Now that I know what I’m doing, I have that to look forward to.”
