With graduation approaching, we wanted to take the time to highlight a few of the Kennedy Center’s top students—we interviewed five students to learn more about how their experiences at BYU have shaped them.
As one of the Kennedy Center’s seven valedictorians of 2024, Allyson Huffmire will be graduating in Ancient Near Eastern Studies with an emphasis in the Hebrew Bible. Following graduation, she will be attending Yale in the fall for a Master of Arts in Religion in Second Temple Judaism and will be attending the Yale Institute of Sacred Music to receive an interdisciplinary education combining biblical critical studies with the arts. After completing the master’s programs, she plans on pursuing a PhD.
What drew you to your program?
My interest in the academic study of religion stems from a deep commitment to fostering responsible readings of biblical texts, having witnessed the potential for unethical uses of scripture within both my local faith community and broader transnational contexts.
What extracurricular activities were you involved with?
Historian and council member for the Students of the Ancient Near East club, faculty reading groups, research assistant for Jason Combs and Matt Grey studying early Christian literature and the archaeology of Roman Palestine. Studia Antiqua Editor-in-Chief 2023–2024.
What were some key learning moments for you?
I was honored to have received the Student Paper Award, typically awarded to master’s and PhD students, at the 2023 AAR/ASOR regional meeting. The award committee informed me that I was the first undergraduate to receive this award in the region.
Did you participate in any studies abroad?
I participated in three studies abroad to Israel as a Jerusalem Center student. I attended the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in the fall of 2019. I also participated in the Huqoq archaeological field school for two summers (2022 and 2023), excavating a late Roman synagogue and courtyard in the Galilee.
At Huqoq, I was with a group of students and Matt Grey excavating a late roman synagogue. This is an excerpt from the Huqoq website describing it: "Huqoq is an ancient Jewish village located approximately three miles west of Capernaum and Migdal (Magdala) in Israel’s Galilee. Since 2011, excavations led by Dr. Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been bringing to light a monumental, Late Roman (early fifth century C.E.) synagogue paved with stunning mosaics depicting a variety of biblical scenes and the first non-biblical story ever discovered decorating an ancient synagogue." Our days started at 4:00 am and we dug until noon. The program included lectures from scholars and field trips to surrounding archaeological sites. My time in the Holy Land as a pilgrim has been transformative. It has been both intellectually enlarging and spiritually enhancing, and I am a better disciple scholar because of those experiences.
To those who are considering your major/minor, what would you say?
The ANES faculty are invested in your success. Take the time to build connections with these mentors. In my experience, these connections have not only enriched my academic path but have also opened doors to numerous opportunities.