Morgan Lyons’ tattoo is hard to miss. In fact, if she isn’t wearing sleeves, it might be the first thing you notice upon meeting her.

The sophomore information management and technology major proudly displays a contemporary, artistic lion’s head on her right arm. The mark is a tribute to her family — the Lyons family — and all the values that her family members have instilled in her throughout her life.

The Lyons’ pride and love for each other runs deep. Morgan’s parents divorced when she was 7 years old, and her mother moved to Hawaii when she was 12. Both parents remarried relatively quickly, and now she has both a stepmother and stepfather. Morgan’s love for all members of her family, blood-related or not, is strong.

“When we get together, it’s all positive. Both my parents and stepparents have done so much to help shape me and help me become the person who I am today,” she said.

Her family has shaped her into many things: a scholar, a feminist and a leader. Lyons said that she has her father to thank for molding her into a leader. He showed her how to lead a group, and as a result she is always looking for leadership roles at school. She belongs to the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and is passionate about her minor in women and gender studies.

In June of 2015, the summer before she came to college, Lyons and her older sister decided that they wanted to get matching tattoos that would always remind them of each other and their roots. A Los Angeles native, Lyons wanted something that would bring her comfort with her move across the country. For her, there was no choice other than their unofficial family mascot: a lion.

“I told her, it doesn’t have to be the same type of lion. That didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was that it was a lion,” Lyons said. “I knew I wanted to bring my family with me, and I wanted to show that we come from the same tribe.”

Her sister got her tattoo first — a more geometric, straight-edged lion’s head. They decided they didn’t want to have the exact same mark because they wanted to celebrate their differences as well as their common roots. The geometric lion represents order, stability and direction. The other, which Lyons revised and revamped from a stencil, represents her tendency to take charge and perfect things to the best of her ability.

“My tattoo feels like a part of me,” Lyons said. “I feel like it was always meant to be there. I can’t imagine myself without it now.”

Published on February 6, 2017 at 10:17 pm

Contact Julie: jlmccu01@syr.edu