Directory

Hometown

• Strongsville, Ohio

What do you like most about your major?

I love that I am able to have more one-on-one time with the faculty and staff. As you progress into more major specific classes, the class sizes get smaller. I like this because I am able to build relationships with my classmates and professors, which always makes me more comfortable participating in class discussions and critiques. The feedback you receive in these discussions is essential for your growth as an artist. The smaller class sizes allow for more collaboration, and I love to hear about my classmates' artistic processes.

What do you love most about UD?

I love how friendly and connected everyone is on campus. No matter where you are on campus there will always be someone willing to help you. I love that everywhere I go, there is always a familiar face. Especially in the Department of Art and Design, I always feel comfortable attending the many opportunities provided because I know that I will recognize someone at the event. As you progress through your years at UD, your network of connections expands and everywhere you go you see a friend.

Favorite class at UD and why?

My favorite class has to be my printmaking classes. Since UD provides many courses in each discipline under fine arts, I have been exposed to mediums that I never would have worked with, including printmaking. This was a process that I knew nothing about coming into my sophomore year, but it quickly grew to be one of my favorite mediums to work with. These classes cover so many printmaking processes, and I love that you get to create work using each process. Knowing all the processes is great because you eventually learn how to combine processes with one another.

What piece of your academic journey has most prepared you to begin a career after graduation?

My advanced classes within my major have started to prepare me for finding a career within the arts. My senior seminar class has taught me all the ins and outs of what it means to be an artist. Being an artist is not just about the making. There is the side where you need to apply for grants and exhibitions, frame and ship your work, and write artist statements to name a few of the other tasks associated with being an artist. This is all critical knowledge I needed before graduation, so knowing this helps me feel ready. My upper level classes in each discipline have helped to push me toward experimentation to discover my own style. These classes are extremely beneficial to my learning and understanding of making.

What clubs/organizations are you involved in at UD?

• Habitat for Humanity
• Sprouts
• Special Olympics

Why did you choose UD?

I decided on UD because of the feeling I had when I visited campus. It just felt comfortable and as if I could easily call it my second home. Part of that had to do with the living situations. I liked the idea of the student neighborhood where everyone continues to live alongside other students.

Is there anything else about your UD experience you think prospective students and their families should know?

There are so many opportunities for all majors at UD. Within the Department of Art and Design there is the New York trip, which I attended the fall of my junior year. This was one of the best experiences I have had because I was immersed in the arts. Not only did I go see all the artwork discussed in my art history classes at the MoMA and the MET, but I got to see working artists in their studio spaces. I had never had the opportunity to talk with a working artist about what their life and practice looked like, and this made me feel like I definitely chose the right major for me. With our professor we were able to see the local art scene, and see the works of major contemporary artists during gallery openings.