Name: Alina
Pronouns: They/Them
Graduation Year: 2020
Alrighty, let’s get started. Like many 8th graders, I was presented with the opportunity to go on a DC trip that, in the end, I didn’t go on. 13 year old me is living right now. Anywho! I haven’t been able to take an interim abroad for the past two years due to my previous involvement in an extra-curricular (but now I am free to enjoy my final interim off campus). Part of the reason I decided to take this course was that I have taken classes with Professor Epstein in the past and enjoy his teaching style and the other is of course to fulfill my 8th-grade dream (kidding… unless?).
In reality, I’m looking to widen my horizons as to future careers as I am still uncertain as to where I am headed next, vocation-wise. I was always heavily involved in arts programs ranging from dance, visual, and music throughout my life and see myself heading towards a future in the arts. I’m particularly excited to be able to network and learn directly from those who work for arts non-profits as well as public servants. One aspect that makes me nervous about this course is placing arts advocacy into perspective on the federal level. By this I mean, how do we make our voices heard in relation to other more pressing issues at hand? How do we begin this conversation that so many others have been involved in? As a music major, how do I bring my own experience to the table without sounding self-interested? These are questions I hope will be (somewhat) answered with this program.