A Home in the Arts

How are women taught to exist in the world? It’s a question M.F.A. candidate Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo seeks to answer. Mentors in the Department of Art and Art History have challenged and prepared her to explore these big questions. “The faculty I work closely with push me in directions not conceivable before coming to graduate school. They offer guidance when it comes to figuring out what it means to be a practicing artist in the world.”

Carolina’s fundamental belief that the arts are for everyone, that they promote dialogue and provoke action, has been instrumental in Cornejo’s development as both a student and a teaching assistant. “After arriving at Carolina and beginning to work with undergraduates here, I began reflecting on my experiences prior to arriving,” said Cornejo. “There is a good deal of sameness in academia, in the sense that there is only so much opportunity for students to really think divergently. But in my short time at Carolina, I’ve realized and begun to interrogate the way that our very language seems almost stifling to the capacity for empathy and emotion.”

Philanthropic support provides more opportunities for exploration and connections for students like Cornejo. “Due to the support of generous donors, I have had the ability to make my work and participate in the program with a focus that would not have otherwise been possible. These funds have provided me the financial opportunity to take risks and try new materials I would never have considered,” said Cornejo

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