Written By: Shir Wen Su, Illustration

Being the only person in my family with an insatiable passion for art, I had to carry out a lot of extensive research when it came time for me to select a university. After trawling through various online forums and attending a multitude of education fairs, I came upon SCAD. SCAD stood out from the rest because of its outstanding Illustration program – a course I really wanted to pursue, in a subject area I feel very passionate about.

During my research, I discovered that SCAD’s Illustration department’s reputation was not only sparkling in the eyes of the students studying there, but it is also influential to the artists in the industry. I believed that SCAD was the place that would be able to help me develop as an artist and support me in all ways possible in my journey to achieve artistic brilliance. That is why I decided to explore my innate love for art at an institution that holds art and artists in high regard – SCAD.

After joining SCAD, I made it a priority to be involved in the community as much as possible, as I hold the firm belief that art is a collaborative, iterative process and there are many opportunities to develop and learn as an artist by communicating and collaborating with students and staff from different faculties. In light of this belief, I participated actively in SCAD-Atlanta’s Uni event.

I also volunteered as a booth member for the International Cultural Festival in Savannah and helped out during the SCAD student scholarship fund raising event that happened during the Spring Quarter, following that experience up with work as an orientation adviser and student greeter during the summer and fall quarter orientation. The events really allowed me to familiarize myself with the staff and students of SCAD from diverse faculties.

Being in SCAD not only allowed me to meet many people from different faculties and industry professionals, it has also provided me with opportunities to work with them to enhance my own skills. And for that I am grateful. I look forward to working collaboratively with even more peers and faculty members in the future.