I may not be the best example of what can be done with a degree in Religious Studies as I have made my living as an artist and craftsman. However, the courses I took in that department have turned out to be surprisingly influential in the way I view my work and my role as an artist. I stumbled upon the REL department having little knowledge of or interest in the topic of religion, but found the topics relevant, and compelling (Religious Dimensions in Contemporary American Literature, for example), and the professors provocative and engaging. So, thanks to Pat Green, Leon Weinberger, and Joe Bettis, I found myself in my senior year with almost enough hours to major in Religious Studies, a prospect I would have found incredible when I entered college with a curriculum heavy in math and sciences. While I cannot say that my degree has opened doors in my career, it did open some significant intellectual doors, and helped to shape my understanding of the world around me, and by extension my work as an artist.