I am a proud Drexel Dragon graduate student, a wife, and mother to an amazing little boy. I presently work at Grounds For Sculpture, a contemporary art and sculpture park in Hamilton, New Jersey. I am the Executive Assistant with roles in a community outreach capacity. I have always known that I wanted to work in the arts since I was a child, when I used to spend time in the basement discovering my father’s drawings and paint supplies. I spent entire summers experimenting, creating, and making a mess of my father’s art tools. In middle school, I was awarded a scholarship to an arts summer camp called, “Tomato Patch,” for a still life that I created in art class and won 1st place. Tomato Patch ignited a more developed passion and appreciation for the arts for me.
After high school, I earned my Bachelors’ degree from The College of New Jersey, where I majored in English. Since I had yet figured out how to make work and passion merge into a career, I took every art class available for electives. After graduating, I gave serious thought to art school, but once I learned about the Museum Leadership program at Drexel University, I realized that it was exactly what I was looking for in a graduate program. My passion currently resides in inspiring people to learn more about culture and the world around them in a less formal setting. Museums are the place where people can spend time learning about things that interest them in a more tangible way.
Now that I am working in a museum, the education I received at Drexel has begun coming to life. Many of the things I learned in the classroom have prepared me to make recommendations and problem-solve within my own institution. The most valuable take away for me has been the leadership capacity building that the program offers. While it is important to identify what your strengths are as a leader, it is dually important to understand what challenges you face and identify new opportunities for improvement.
Given my complicated schedule with family and work, Drexel’s flexible class schedules have made it possible for me to complete my master’s degree. The guidance, mentorship, and relationships that were formed in my classes with students and professors have helped me grow personally and professionally. Our professors are established and invested leaders in museums with a wealth of knowledge and passion that unfolds in the classroom. For these reasons, I am excited to be part of such an amazing and forward-thinking program that I am confident will translate to a wealth of opportunity for me.