As an Art Education major, my academic and professional training is not solely confined to the classes I take on campus. Throughout the past three years of undergrad, I've observed and aided students in the classrooms of Beverly J. Martin Elementary, Boynton Middle School, and New Roots High School, giving me concrete examples to compliment the theoretical on how education works. The 100+ hours of field observation I've accomplished all culminates into a semester of student teaching, which I will begin in January of next year. 

Outside of classes, I've become deeply involved in the artistic community both on and off the Ithaca College campus. For the past two years, I've worked at the Handwerker Gallery, our on campus exhibition space that provides an "outlet for creative work and intellectual discourse for students and faculty in diverse programs across campus". As a gallery monitor, I facilitate patron interactions with the work on display to create symbiotic relationships between viewer and art. I also help prepare the gallery for the variety of events we put on during the semester, and install new work as we prepare for subsequent shows. Many of the skills I've learned during my time at the Handwerker were instrumental in putting together the culminating exhibition of my Summer Scholars work.

For the past two semesters, I've also worked as a monitor in the Cerrache Arts building, helping to maintain the cleanliness and functionality of our number of discrete studios. Working in Cerrache as both a student and behind the scenes as a monitor has given me great insight into negotiating a shared studio space, a process which continued into the summer while at the Creative Space Gallery.

I also try to take full advantage of the artistic resources available in the greater Ithaca area as a whole. I am a frequent attendee of First Friday Gallery Nights, and make it a point to visit the Johnson Museum at least once per semester. While the climate of the IC Art Department itself is of undisputed importance, being immersed in a community that values creativity and innovation only strengthens what I'm learning. 

In addition to maintaining a 3.9 GPA across all my classes, I've had my artworks exhibited in a number of shows over the years, including the opening exhibition of the Creative Space Gallery, "Mutations", in its former Ithaca Commons location, the 2017 "I SEE YOU (IC/CU)" Ink Shop collaborative between Cornell and Ithaca College students, and the 2017 Provost's Show. 

My summer jobs back home in Flemington, New Jersey, as well as the academic demands of my major have made it difficult for me to pursue extended internship opportunities thus far. The 2017 H&S Summer Scholars Program marks the first time I've worked on an inquiry-based independent project outside of classes, making me all the more excited for what this past summer had in store.