Letter of Intent

While visiting The Hague, I was intrigued by the regional culture and decided to explore studying abroad. A lifelong friend who lives in The Hague recommended that I review your programs. Your philosophy of education and support for finding my own voice, as well as the opportunity to work with an international community, prompted me to apply. I am naturally driven to observe, explore, listen, and create. I am therefore seeking an environment in which I can establish a strong design foundation and foster my curiosity. Your program exceeds all of those standards.

My interest in art, design, and music production started at an early age. My mother was the executive director of Touchstone Center for Crafts and worked within the art department of California University of Pennsylvania, where a vibrant group of professors and students embraced me from preschool throughout high school. Auditing classes, participating in debates, and attending gallery openings and music events helped me build a strong critical thinking foundation and gave me the confidence to embrace my individuality. I eventually gravitated toward graphic design because of my passion for graphic novels, album covers, posters, and animated videos. Drawing, philosophy, psychology, storytelling, color theory, design history, art history, elements of design, marketing, animation, typography, layout design, illustration, printmaking, and photography are among the subjects that would help me obtain my future goals.

Joining an international group of students and learning from professors with a global perspective would be an honor. I feel that the United States is currently struggling as a society in terms of reaching consensus about protecting environmental, cultural, and individual rights. I wish to engage in open-minded discussions with students who have experiences that differ from my own and work toward becoming an instrument of positive change. I was raised in a rural community where differences are not always encouraged, yet I have always remained true to myself. I feel as though I would bring positivity, open-mindedness, creativity, and friendship to the collective.

The art I create is a reflection of my own experiences and research. I first realized the powerful impact of questioning fine art and marketing while visiting the Andy Warhol Museum. His vast areas of interest and art forms imprinted upon me the idea that artists should explore multiple mediums. The philosophy of writers such as Joseph Campbell, and his works on comparative mythology, has fueled my desire to illustrate and write about the myths of our time. ‘‘Follow your bliss’’ is a repeated mantra of Campbell, and that is a noble quest I intend to continue. The increasingly rapid evolution of technology, our connectivity through social media, and the implications of artificial intelligence for artists, designers, writers, and musicians leads me to think about my work and how it can create more meaningful human connections. My dream is to curate my graphic novels into musically-driven animated films. Within five years, I see myself continuing to create and working within an extended community to help make the world a more hopeful place.

“Once you choose hope, anything is possible”. -Christopher Reeve (Superman) 

* Sound Required