All my life I have always been a creative thinker. I grew up with a very photographic memory and sought out art in every facet of my life. However, when it came to choosing a career path, I was basically convinced in high school that majoring in fine arts was a dead end. The phrase “starving artist” was fairly engrained in me as I was applying to colleges, which is why I decided to pursue a different route. Along with my passion for the arts, I also struggled a lot with my own mental/psychological health throughout my child hood and early adolescence. With that, I figured it would make sense for me to major in psychology, that way I could help the generations below me find their way through the same struggles I had.
When I arrived at Syracuse I enjoyed all of my courses. I loved learning about mental health and the human condition, and quite frankly, I thought I had it all figured out. It wasn’t until the summer before my junior year that I realized this was probably not the best path for me. I interned in a Psychological Wing at a local hospital and was surrounded by some really sick individuals. It was during this time that I realized the difference between reading and learning about mental health and actually applying it to real world cases.
When I returned to Syracuse as a first semester junior I rallied. I spoke to numerous people in VPA with the hopes of picking up a dual in fine arts. Unfortunately, what I learned was that I was a year too late in my decision. Given the course load and the number of studio art courses I would have had to take, I would have had to stay at Syracuse for an additional two and a half years.
Once I heard of this news, I sought out other options and that is when I decided to apply for a major in graphic design. I spoke first to Bruce Strong about my options, and he told me I would have to stay an additional three semesters past my original graduation date unless I could convince him that I could handle taking a capstone at the same time as the prerequisite course for the capstone. Luckily, my petition was passed and I was granted permission to graduate only two semesters late as opposed to three.
I think my bad luck with VPA has led me up a much better path today. I am very grateful to be a student in Newhouse, and I have challenged myself in ways that I never thought could be possible. Fine arts is my comfort zone. Graphics is way out of my comfort zone. I don’t really know what I want to do with my degree, but I am confident that it will lead me in the right direction one way or another.
