Leah Dawson

Biography

Originally from Austin, Texas, Leah received her B.A. in Classical Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2025, where she focused on both the Latin and Greek languages and literatures. As an undergraduate, she undertook a comparative study of Ovid’s Ars Amatoria and his Heroides 16–17, culminating in a final presentation at the Tennessee Undergraduate Classics Research Conference. She then shifted toward the intersection of Classics and Early Christian studies and worked on a cross-comparative analysis of healing narratives in first‑ and second‑century contexts. Her final project examined the use of the “body politic” metaphor in describing the emergence of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

At Notre Dame, Leah aims to deepen her proficiency in Latin and Greek through engagement with new primary texts and to broaden her understanding of the lived faith of Early Christians within their historical world. Outside of her academic interests, she enjoys baking for her friends and family, running with her dad, playing the violin, and reading books that transport her to other worlds.