Genealogy Certificate Leads Alum to TV Career

Mary Tedesco’s interest in genealogy began as a hobby. After she and her grandmother traced their family’s Italian origins back as far and as ably as a pair of novices could, Tedesco (CAS’06) signed up for the Genealogical Research Certificate Program offered by BU’s Center for Professional Education, where she honed her skills in forensics, research practices, and evidence evaluation. She says her time in the class saw her grow “from needing and wanting more education to realizing that this was something I could pursue as a career.” The seeds of her interest in family trees bore fruit, and today Tedesco serves as host of PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow, in addition to running the Italian-focused genealogical research firm ORIGINS ITALY.