Semester Reflections

Semester 4: With Love, Farewell

When I entered the Arts Scholar program, I was a nervous Freshman with worries about my major, whether I would make friends, and what my future would look like. I have always loved art, community, and understanding diverse perspectives, so I was grateful to find a space in Arts Scholars where I could nurture those passions. Over the course of two years, through more than five field trips, four visits to the Stamp Gallery, and the completion of my capstone project, I was able to bring my love for the arts, creativity, and curiosity to life. 

I started the program as a Film Major, then switched to Journalism, and I am now a Public Relations major with a minor in Health Humanities and Medicine. Completing the semester reflections allowed me to think critically about my journey as a student and reflect on both the uncertainty and appreciation I felt regarding my career path. Through those reflections, I was able to express my desire to work in an environment where curiosity is encouraged and diverse voices are amplified. Throughout the program, I have grown in many forms of artistic communication, but most importantly, I have grown as a listener. As an aspiring storyteller, I was able to apply this skill directly in practice to my capstone project. Creating 90Archive and interviewing my peers about what culture and identity mean to them was incredibly meaningful. Through those conversations, I was able to connect my own experiences to the stories of the past and truly understand the core of my project: that love and storytelling persists across generations. 

One experience that deeply influenced my perception of art was the African Drumming workshop. As a Guinean, I take great pride in my mother’s heritage, and learning about drumming felt deeply personal. It reminded me of being a child in my home country, listening to my family members play drums late into the night. The experience was transformative because it allowed me to reconnect with my culture through art and memory. Similarly, the recent “DC Around the World” embassy tour encouraged me to embrace cultures beyond my own and appreciate the beauty of cultural preservation and global connection. Seeing individuals from different backgrounds come together through art, tradition, and storytelling reinforced the idea that art has the power to unite communities and preserve identity. It is an experience I will carry with me as I grow both personally and professionally.

As I developed my capstone project, I wanted to focus on how preservation encourages remembrance and strengthens cultural identity through storytelling and family narratives. My studies as a Health Humanities and Medicine minor also shaped my understanding of identity and culture. Through coursework and discussions, I learned how deeply culture influences the ways people understand themselves and the world around them. These ideas became central to my capstone project. By engaging more deeply with the humanities and the arts, I strengthened my writing and critical thinking skills while also learning how music, literature, and visual arts can act as catalysts for social change, especially in the face of marginalization of division. 

Arts Scholars also helped me deepen my existing interests while expanding my creative abilities. As a PR major and aspiring public relations professional, I have become interestingly interested in the relationship between media, storytelling and community building. Through the program, I was able to explore how art and communication interest culture and identity. My capstone project especially gave me the opportunity to collaborate with peers from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and artistic interests. Although we all came from different experiences, we shared a common connection through stories, culture, and memory. Listening to stories about childhood traditions, family histories, and cultural experiences broadened my perspective and helped me better understand both the differences and similarities that connect us as individuals. This experience strengthened my ability to collaborate effectively with people who hold different artistic and cultural perspectives while also teaching me the importance of empathy and active listening in creative spaces.   

Looking back on my time in Arts Scholars, I can confidently say that the program has shaped both my academic and personal growth. It taught me the importance of thinking creatively, remaining open to diverse perspectives, and using storytelling as a way to foster understanding and community. Moving forward, I plan to continue engaging with the arts and humanities no matter what professional environment I enter. I hope to pursue work that interests culture, identity, creativity, and communication, particularly through campaigns and storytelling that amplify underrepresented voices. Most importantly, I will carry with me the ability to art and beauty in everyday life and to use creativity to build connections with others.