Image Alumni ’17 Education BS in Entrepreneurial Studies Current Career Marketing and Digital Communications at Rising Tide Capital Location Jersey City, New Jersey Where are you originally from and how did you hear about MCAD? I'm from St. Louis Park, a neighboring suburb of Minneapolis, MN. I grew up going to church down the street and would frequently visit the MIA on Sundays. I started taking art classes there in middle school and the teachers assistants were MCAD students. I ended up doing a Postsecondary Enrollment Option through MCAD my senior year in High School. Briefly describe at least one of your internships. I interned at an amazing community arts non-profit called Intermedia Arts that sadly closed its doors shortly after my internship. Favorite project you worked on for a client? Velasquez Family Coffee Is there anything you wish you knew when you were an MCAD student? I was very eager to share my ideas in class when I was a student. I wish I knew how to better leverage listening and seek to understand other's viewpoints as much as I felt compelled to share mine. Did MCAD prepare you for life after graduation? In what way? It helped build creative confidence, which is so important when needing to share your creative ideas with those you don't know very well, if at all. The dynamics of working in teams and with clients also was a great resource. What have you learned since graduating from MCAD? I am learning to not get in my own way so much and to turn down the volume of my inner-critic. It's a process though! I now try my best to not limit myself so much from things/ideas that could be of great interest to me and/or guide me in the direction of both living up to my fullest potential and of service to the world around me. What do you miss about being a student at MCAD? Everything. Fun. Freedom. Creative community. YOUTH :) Name your biggest takeaway from the program? Team work makes the dream work. What inspires you/your work? Understanding the intricate web of life; how everything is connected and the threads that weave throughout society's fabric. Describe what you do for work and how your experience with it has been. I started working March of 2021 and so far my experience has been really positive. I've already taken creative lead on several projects that are supported by--and continues to strengthen my specific skill set. Each day is filled with purpose and I am so thankful to be working for an organization, and with colleagues, whose values are aligned with mine. I work within the advancement team, ensuring the organization's communications are aligned to—and driving results for—the overall communications strategy. Rising Tide Capital is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship, creating inclusive communities of resilient entrepreneurs catalyzing a thriving and sustainable economy for all. What advice do you have for current MCAD students and/or artists at the beginning of their creative careers? You ideas matter and your vision is valid. What is your most proud accomplishment? The 2017 commissioned fabric installation for MCAD's NEXT/NOW Campaign titled Do You See Color Now?. Not only was it four stories tall in the main atrium, it was an amazing way to say farewell to my alma mater and help me build post-graduate confidence. Best thing you ever found on the free shelf? A GIGANTIC Ed Hardy lighter Current obsession? Becoming more spiritual.