On PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow, Mary M. Tedesco and her cohosts investigate colorful tales lurking in the bloodlines of ordinary Americans. They’ve pursued prized connections to Blackbeard and Pocahontas, tested long-held tales of ties to royalty and Viking raiders.

Professional genealogist Tedesco (CAS’06), a host on the show since 2015, has traced her own line back hundreds of years—though she hasn’t found any pirates or royals yet. Her father’s family tree winds back to Italy in the 1600s, her mother’s through the American Revolution to Northern Europe in the 1500s.