Madison Mikayelyan is a sophomore from New York City, passionate about storytelling, agency, and the protection of creativity in an age increasingly driven by AI. At Duke, she approaches these areas through interdisciplinary study, majoring in English while pursuing a Japanese minor and a certificate in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). In her first summer as a Laidlaw Scholar, Madison’s engaged in documentary photography of Berlin’s Abenteuerspielplätzes, investigating how early experiences of autonomy shape long-term environmental engagement. Excited by this use of visual storytelling, Madison now works at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, contributing to the development of a forthcoming photobook on the Pelznickel tradition. On campus, she also serves as an editor for the Duke Undergraduate Law Review, Director of Entertainment for Duke Student Broadcasting, Program Director for Project Media, and Vice President of Armenians at Duke. Committed to protecting creative expression, Madison plans to pursue law school in the future and hopes to advocate for systems that strengthen both communities and the arts.