Student’s love of art, culture, history drives future museum career

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There are some students who arrive at college undecided, gently sampling possibilities like flavors at an ice cream counter. And then there are students like Laenee McCoy, who show up seemingly fully formed.

A third-year student from Pittsburgh, McCoy grew up surrounded by Penn State stories. Her mom, aunt, uncle and cousins all walked these same paths before her. Blue and white wasn’t just school spirit, but her inheritance, she said.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by Penn State alumni who loved their time here and instilled the same sense of pride they felt towards Penn State in me,” McCoy said. “So, in my heart I always knew I would end up here.”

A double major in anthropology and art history, with minors in Korean and classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, along with a certificate in museum studies, McCoy’s academic life reads less like a checklist and more like a carefully curated collection. For her, they aren’t separate interests, but overlapping conversations about culture, identity and memory.

Academically, McCoy’s dedication is undeniable. As a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, she has embraced rigorous coursework and research opportunities that push her intellectually. She consistently earns Dean’s List recognition and has received both the President Walker Award and the President Sparks Award over the past two years.

These accolades, she said, serve as reminders of growth and a commitment to challenging herself.

McCoy’s love of art began in high school, she said, when she looked at the art room as her personal sanctuary. Under the guidance of her art teacher, Mrs. Steffes, she was introduced to art history and quickly fell in love with the stories behind the brushstrokes. Art became more than something to create; it became something to decode, she said.

Her interest in anthropology felt like a natural extension of her fascination with art, said McCoy. If paintings and sculptures captured emotion and ideology, anthropology explained the context. Building on that was a fascination with Greek mythology that morphed into an academic interest in classics and the distant past.

“Coming into Penn State, I was still unsure what exactly I wanted to major in. The only thing I did know was that I loved art and culture,” McCoy said. “As I looked more into the classes offered here, I fell in love with anthropology and art history. They blend my favorite things together and help me see the world and people in a new light. Adding in my love for Greek mythology, adding a classics minor was a no-brainer. For me these all fit perfectly together and have helped me take an interdisciplinary approach to my research, not only strengthening my work but also allowing me to see things from more than one point of view or field.”

McCoy’s additional minor in Korean came out of an appreciation for K-pop and Korean media but deepened into a profound respect for language and the perspectives it carries. Studying Korean, she said, has sharpened her awareness of how identity and meaning shift across time and place.

In many ways, McCoy’s academic journey reflects her broader philosophy that culture deserves care. That belief crystallized early in her college career, she said, when she realized she wanted to become a museum curator.

Her internship in the College of the Liberal Arts’ Matson Museum of Anthropology brought that vision to life. As a curatorial and collections assistant, McCoy immersed herself in the meticulous, often invisible work that sustains cultural preservation. She updated object descriptions in the museum’s catalog system, carefully ensuring accuracy and detail. She also labeled new acquisitions with lot numbers, wrote object descriptions, pulled artifacts for class visits and maintained exhibition spaces so displays remained intentional and engaging.

In addition, she created signage for an African-themed exhibit and collaborated with another intern to develop another exhibit focused on Peru. Together, they reviewed the museum’s Peruvian collection and developed a theme centered on spirituality exploring how Peruvians express belief through clothing, dance and everyday objects.

Through this work, McCoy said, she saw firsthand the responsibility embedded in curation.

McCoy’s upcoming internship at the All-Sports Museum offers a new dimension to that understanding, she said. As an avid supporter of Penn State’s men’s and women’s hockey teams, McCoy is no stranger to the energy of sport. At games, she can often be found pressed up against the student section glass, cheering with abandon. At one game, she said, a puck flew directly toward her and, instead of ducking, she caught it.

To her, sports are not separate from culture; they are culture, she said.

Outside the classroom and museum walls, McCoy serves as treasurer of the Indigenous Peoples’ Student Association (IPSA). She manages the group’s finances, sends communications, designs promotional materials and helps update the its website.

But IPSA’s impact on her extends far beyond administrative duties. She said it’s given her the opportunity to engage with Indigenous voices and histories that are often marginalized, and has reinforced her commitment to listening in hopes of understanding perspectives that challenge dominant narratives.

Looking ahead, McCoy envisions continuing her education through a master’s degree and potentially a Rhodes Scholarship and doctorate in anthropology and/or art history. She said she hopes to gain experience across various museum settings, refining her approach to curation and public history.

Ultimately, she aims to become a museum curator who brings art and diverse cultural narratives to wide audiences, using collections to foster empathy and understanding.

While society may suggest more conventional paths, passion paired with discipline creates its own legitimacy, she said.

“Being able to continue this legacy studying subjects I love and helping to make a difference in the Penn State community has been an amazing opportunity,” McCoy said. “I couldn’t wish for a better college experience.”