At the third annual Classics & Archaeology Alumni Event on September 4, 2025, Professor of Classics and Director of the Learning Community Series, Katerina Zacharia, welcomed two guest speakers to this year’s gathering. Professor Zacharia hosts the event to unite the CLAR community and celebrate how the program has shaped alumni and their careers. This year’s speakers, Daniel Priore and Alyssa Arredondo, both graduated from LMU in 2011, and through the CLAR program, became the best of friends. Dan Priore graduated cum laude, with an emphasis in classical civilizations and a minor in ancient mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeology. He then obtained his master’s in library and information science from Drexel University with a concentration in archival studies. Alyssa Arredondo earned her degree in history from LMU, with a minor in archaeology specializing in the ancient Near East. Both Dan and Alyssa were lead curators of the LMU Archaeology Center, and were very involved in the CLAR Department during their time at LMU.
Dan Priore kicked off the event with his presentation: “Pedagogy in Practice.” Now a museum educator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, he explained how the vast range of studies in the CLAR program provided him with education in many avenues such as history, language, literature, and material culture. Through CLAR, Dan was able to study archaeology abroad in Rome, go on an archaeological excavation in Spain, and, as mentioned above, become an archaeology lab curator. These experiences not only helped him shape his future, but also helped him build an incredible community and long-lasting friendships.
After graduating, Dan pursued librarianship, with a concentration in archival studies and special collections. He had the opportunity to volunteer at national archives, noting a memorable internship at the ONE Institute at USC, which is home to the largest LGBTQ Archive in the world. Dan then worked as a research librarian at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose. After this role, he pivoted to working in guest relations at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, and from this position became a museum educator, Dan’s dream role. As a museum educator he leads school tours, and special event tours such as the Hidden Histories Tour, and the Big Cat Conservation Tours. In addition, he works at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum in paleontology and fossil preparation where he sorts microfossils. Dan reflects “While I’m not an expert in paleontology, bugs, cats etc., I often get asked, did I study that in school? I often have to say no. But what I end up telling them is that I studied classics and archaeology but these skills are transferable.” Drawing on the observational skills, understanding of material culture, and Latin language knowledge he developed at LMU, Dan has been able to pursue his dream career.
Next, Alyssa Arredondo shared her presentation, “Of Many turns: An Odyssey of Discovery.” Alyssa’s presentation highlighted how her journey was not linear, and how the most unexpected parts of life can bring you the best experiences. She had been fascinated by archaeology and classics since she saw the King Tut exhibit in Las Vegas when she was six years old. Throughout her schooling prior to college, she was consistently frustrated that she did not learn about the ancient worlds in her classes. She explains how the LMU Archaeology Center is what initially drew her to LMU, as she was surrounded by artifacts in an accessible space and could not be happier. Alyssa became the lead curator of the LMU Archaeology Center and loved sharing the ancient world with her peers by leading tours, reorganizing the lab, and conducting outreach. Her favorite memories of being in the CLAR program were doing a dig at Tel Megiddo and writing her senior thesis on childbirth in Ancient Egypt.
After graduation, Alyssa began working at a law firm and was on track to become a paralegal. But when health challenges prompted her to reflect on her goals, she decided to follow her lifelong dream of becoming an archaeologist. Alyssa began working on the special events team at the Natural History Museum for third party and external events. She then transitioned to working in museum events, where she says she was able to inspire a sense of wonder for the ancient world. She now works in major and planned giving at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. She explained how this position is aligned with what she loves and has provided her with incredible opportunities, such as a paleontological dig for the Dinosaur Institute! Alyssa concluded her presentation by reminding students, faculty, and staff to be kind to themselves and to remain open to the unfolding of our journeys.
After the event, Nare Tendjoukian ’26, CLAR minor, stated “I definitely understand the passion that surrounds being near ‘ancient things,’ so overall this was a really relatable and an eye-opening experience for me!”
Natalie Finnegan ’28, CLAR major, added how it was “interesting to hear about how they were able to apply the research, communication, and attention to detail skills they developed at LMU and the Natural History Museum to their careers, because it emphasizes the diverse options someone with this major/minor could choose.” She stated “Overall, I appreciated how this event was informative and uplifting- looking forward to the next!”