Semester Reflections

Semester 4

Throughout my two years as an Arts Scholar, I have learned and grown a lot. I have always been a very quiet person growing up, so it was even harder for me to build connections in college. However, Arts Scholars has taught me a lot, both academically and personally. I cannot imagine where I would be without the community and the family I built here. From the beginning, I didn't know what to expect from college as a first-generation student, but over time, I built friendships through peer mentor and our community interactions, which eventually inspired me to become a peer mentor. This helped me form stronger connections and support incoming students by hosting events and guiding freshmen through the difficulty of classes, which I experienced myself.

After reviewing my ePortfolio, which I initially dreaded doing last year, but seeing it all come together now has been so bittersweet and motivating. The pentathlon assignments were enjoyable because they were a fun way to connect with peers while also being creative. One time last year, I created a Japanese wind chime (TA Jessica's event) that is still displayed in my room. This experience has helped me explore new art forms beyond drawing, including DIY crafts, and helped me find meaning in creative expression, such as the purpose of something as simple as an arts and craft can be so beautifully decorated and used.

On the topic of the variety of art forms, last year, students got to vogue dance session with Marquis Revlon Clanton. This art form was new to me because at that time, I viewed art as something hands-on, such as drawing or painting. But after our vogue session, I learned that performing, dancing, and acting are all forms of art as well. During the dance, as uncomfortable as it was, it pushed me to freely express myself, similar to creating art on canvas (being uncomfortable can be art).

Another time that my perception of art has been shaped and redefined was when I went on two field trips this year, the Richard Goode piano performance and the campus garden drawing, which expanded my understanding of art. These experiences helped me appreciate both performance art and nature-based art in new ways. As a commuter and a student who was majoring in biology and having to learn topics like human anatomy, I usually don't take time to slow down and engage with my campus, so these field trips felt really meaningful and reflective. It helped me expand my perspective of art, such as art being nature or a field of flowers, something we pass daily.

My capstone project, UMD Stories in Stickers, was a really important growth factor for me. For this project, I explored two new mediums that I wasn't familiar with, digital drawing and editing. I wanted a way to challenge myself within the art world, but also tie these art mediums back to college mental health. There were many times of frustration where I wanted to redo my entire project or cut off an idea. But I learned that growth requires persistence and learning from my mistakes. At the time, I also learned a new concept called "kill your darlings," which is when writers/artists remove or cut an unnecessary part of their work in order to improve the overall work. This was used during the editing of my documentary, it took me such a long time to view the clips repeatedly, and I had to cut what wasn't important to the overall message. I also used this method on the sticker part of my project when it came to deciding on a certain color that blended well with each other and which small drawing pieces to add or remove. This helped me with critique and decision-making skills.

I've deepened my existing artistic talents through my participation as a peer mentor. Being a peer mentor and taking on a leadership role was something I never imagined myself doing. Through this experience, I improved my communication skills, not only with the other peer mentors but also with my group of freshmen mentees. One time, my team and I hosted a game and movie night as part of our joint event, and it helped me grow creatively. From planning the event to leading activities, I was able to express my artistic abilities in different ways, even the card games we played felt like a form of art. Another experience was during the welcome event, where each mentor led an activity. There was friendship bracelet making, dancing, canvas painting, and even ice cream. This expanded my creative interests because it showed me different forms of art and showed me how creativity can bring people together. Seeing everyone create, express themselves, and build new friendships showed me how meaningful it is.

During Arts Fest, I was surrounded by so many talented peers and different art pieces, such as collages, photography, sculpture, and music. It was such a joyful moment to see everyone come together in a shared creative space. I learned that anyone can be an artist, that anything can be considered art, and that art can express different emotions such as happiness, sadness, and even love. Collaboration has also been an important part of my Arts Scholars experience. One time, in the Exhibit & Erase workshop, we had to do a group activity to build a 3D shoebox installation collectively. We worked with our peers using different objects and combined all our ideas into one installation. We shared ideas, gave feedback, and built on each other's work. This helped me collaborate effectively with diverse artistic perspectives aside from my own.

Finally, the Arts Scholars program and its experiences and memories will be carried with me into the future as I continue to grow. This program has helped me build confidence, knowledge, and meaningful friendships, both personally and professionally. It also influenced how I see art in everyday life, from creative projects to something as simple as daily activities, such as organizing and decorating my room. One experience that helped me both personally and professionally was attending the Night Gala before Arts Fest, where I presented my capstone project documentary to my peers. Although I was initially very nervous, having the chance to be on stage and look down at the audience and see my friends all lined up in the back to support and cheer for me gave me confidence. This experience wrapped up my time in Arts Scholars, as it helped improve my oral communication skills for the academic showcase by presenting my project publicly, and also helped me grow in realizing that the best support is the family you make in this program.