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Ryan Doty ’26 left his hometown of Tipton, Michigan, on April 29 on a mission: to trace his family lineage across Europe, using poetry and photography to capture his reflections along the way.

Doty, a chemistry major with minors in creative writing and studio art, began delving into his family history a few years ago and said it quickly became an all-consuming passion to learn more about his origins.

“This curiosity grew into a slight obsession,” Doty said, “and I began to explore all sections of my family tree. Over the past few years, I honestly can’t remember how many county courthouses I visited, sifting through their microfilm sheets and printing off scanned copies of old documents.”

“It’s like digging up a plant you thought was long dead, but the roots were still intact and vibrantly alive.”

—Ryan Doty ’26

Doty began connecting with relatives he found from DNA tests and eventually combined this newfound interest with his love of photography, specifically photo restoration work through Adobe Photoshop. Doty created a small business that helps others find their families and see old photos in new lights called Images & Ancestors LLC. He founded the company as a freshman in high school and still works with people on photography and family history requests in his spare time.

The idea for the trip was sparked during a conversation in Fall Term 2022 with Doty’s friend and fellow Johnson Scholar, Jess Kishbaugh ’24, who had used her Johnson Scholar Summer Enhancement Funds to embark on a trip across the United States photographing various American cities and emulating the ideas strewn throughout Robert Frank’s “The Americans.” Doty, a Johnson Scholar, decided to combine his passion for genealogy with his planned minors and head to some of the places in his family tree where his ancestors lived prior to their immigration to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Johnson Enhancement Funds aim to decrease financial barriers so Johnson Scholars may access a variety of domestic, international and virtual internships and research opportunities. The funds are intended to provide students with the freedom to shape their own career and professional development while exposing them to new cultures, making them more competitive job applicants and allowing them to develop personal passions — in Doty’s case, writing and photography.

“I’ve found that writing, no matter how it may read to others, is cathartic to me, and allows me to release any troubled or aboundingly happy emotions onto a page with lines that only I know the true meaning of,” Doty said. “I also found photography to be a keystone to my life and existence as an individual. I cherish the feeling I’ll always have when I snap the perfect photo or find the right angle. My mother actually majored in photojournalism in college and taught me how to respect the art of photography and really allowed me to develop in that regard.”

“We are so grateful for the support the Johnson Program provides students, both through the mentoring program and with Johnson Enhancement Funds, as they explore their passions across a wide range of interests,” said Elizabeth Knapp, director of the Johnson Program and professor of Earth and environmental geoscience. “It is an honor to be able to work with incredible students like Ryan as they develop and expand their personal and professional goals.”

Doty and his mother, Lisa, started their trip in London, making their way through the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and France.

“It’s like digging up a plant you thought was long dead, but the roots were still intact and vibrantly alive,” Doty said of exploring Cornwall, England, from where part of his family immigrated to the United States in the 19th century. Doty said sharing the experience with his mother was incredibly special.