A self-described “go-getter” in high school, Elizabeth Redmond ’25 was not accustomed to asking for support in an academic environment. When she arrived at Kenyon, she was determined to figure out college, and all of the new challenges that came with it, on her own.
Now Redmond’s favorite advice to give on campus tours is to be resolute in accessing the resources available to students. “Find out the names of the people who are here to help you, reach out to them and set up meetings with them,” she said. “When I learned to do that, I was able to solve some of my biggest hurdles.”
That support has taken on many forms: receiving contact information for a Kenyon graduate working in her field of interest; getting ice cream with the chaplain while talking through a setback; and sitting for an hour in her academic advisor’s office to come up with a “step-by-step process” for her upcoming semester abroad.
After Redmond’s initial off-campus study plan fell through, Assistant Professor of History Justin Rivest recommended that she take a closer look at Scotland. She now is at the University of Edinburgh, studying European history this semester.
“Professor Rivest has supported my research every step of the way,” said Redmond, who approached him about her interest in studying British political pamphlets after taking his class, “Alchemy, Astrology and Magic in Early Modern Europe.” Rivest then helped her secure the Kenyon-funded Landon Warner Research Grant to travel to Washington, D.C., where she spent a summer immersed in primary documents and materials from the Library of Congress’ special collections.
The results of her research were on display at the American Historical Association’s annual conference in San Francisco, where Redmond was invited to present alongside 20 undergraduate students from across the country. “The experience of attending the biggest conference in the field and learning what different scholars are working on was valuable,” said Rivest, who described Redmond’s work as “already graduate-level.”
Redmond focused her research on pamphlet depictions of Mary Beatrice of Modena, the Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland during the Glorious Revolution of the 17th century. “As a history major, I’m telling stories about people who matter and people whose legacy is around us every day,” she said, adding that she appreciated the chance to explain her work to the largest professional organization serving historians.
This academic year, Redmond is one of 25 students who have received support from research grants managed by the Office of the Provost. The grants fund travel for students pursuing research sponsored by Kenyon faculty in any department, most recently in art history, biology, classics, English, history and psychology.
“I feel very lucky to have found professors at Kenyon who support me and who understand the urge to keep learning and discovering every day,” Redmond said. “If I fail, and I fly into the sun like Icarus, I'll come crashing down, but I know someone will be there to pick me back up.”
