I really enjoyed the alumni’s encouraging words and inspirational presentations. It’s helpful to see artist’s working in the professional field, especially because they were students who went through the same department and took similar courses that aided them in becoming the successful members of society that they are now.

I think the person I related to the most was Rebekah Marino because she works for a non-profit, and her job description includes a lot of different tasks. As an artist inside and outside the university, I want to be multi-faceted and use all of the knowledge and skills I develop to aid me in any position I encounter. I really liked that she writes about art and current events and artists in the community because I think writing is an extremely important aspect of every profession and it helps explore ideas and encourages research and creativity. Overall, I felt that I have various skills that could make me useful in various work places, and I hope to develop those skills and use them in various creative avenues like Rebekah has done since her time at St. Ed’s.

I was surprised by the fact that Nick Swift’s whiskey business is what sprouted from his background as an art major. Although he oversees a lot of the aesthetic design aspects of the business, he is not the main producer of the visual materials within the company. However, I know several people that were art majors and ended up creating small businesses, which can most likely be attributed to the creative and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to be a successful working artist.

The amount of design experience Alex Roka has had in the short amount of time since his graduation from St. Edwards was a little surprising as well. This could have possibly been because he began by designing for a large company and had the chance to develop his style and own personal interests in design, which eventually led him to work for a smaller design firm and work closely with a team of designers. I was impressed by how many design commissions he had and I was interested in how he got his name and work out into the public for clients and companies to see.

Taylor Brownings presentation was specifically inspiring because of how involved she became in her community through her background in art. She encouraged us to study abroad which is something that I’ve been considering because I want to immersed in different perspectives. I liked how her work is about educating children and teens and cultivating the arts in the younger generations. Of course, she advised us to seek out internships and dive into the things we like because developing those things will lead us to unexpected but wonderful places.

The most valuable piece of advice from the four alumni that spoke I think was to take as many opportunities  to learn and work as possible because I will discover what I like to do and what I’m good at. The more experience gained, the more chances to collaborate with other more experienced creatives and network with people who have similar, or different exciting interests. As a student, discovering new things and co-existing with other artists in a  space can be really important and influence my preferences and future career decisions.