Student Opinion: VCU Arts

Question: Asked of students in Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts: What do you think about attending the number one public art school, according to U.S. News & World Report, in America? What do you plan to do with your degree after you graduate?

Responses:

"I think it's awesome! I'm going to go home in Leesburg after I graduate and then work for a design firm in D.C."
-Katrina May, Graphic Design

"Exciting. Not sure yet!"
-Anubahau Bist, Art Foundation

"I love the program and I want to be a children's book illustrator."
-Nina Stoddard, Art Foundation

"Didn't know it was number one; I guess that makes going to VCU less of a joke! I plan on being unemployed, like any good art grad!"
-David Fuchs, a.k.a. Last of the Lions, King of the Poodles, Art Foundation

"I know a lot of people complain about our run-down facility and grad student instructors, but I feel very strongly about the Photography department at VCU. It is a good program despite its flaws. I think that the ranking of VCU's School of the Arts at the number one public art school is based on the opinion of certain professionals and is a very subjective process. But for some reasons, people like the work that's coming out of VCU, and who am I to disagree when that fact just makes it easier for me to get a job when I graduate?"
-Cassandra Meier, Photography

"It's awesome. It's a good opportunity because it's not just an art school; it's a liberal arts school. Graphic design, hopefully, but it's competitive."
-Sarah Sheehan, Art Foundation

"It's righteous. Make money. Actually, I have no idea."
-Matthew Marinello, Music Education

"I think it's giving people attending the school a better chance to understand the foundations and fundamentals of art from many different perspectives. It also helps you gain respect from the art world. I plan to move to New York and perform on Broadway and become a star."
-Demitrius Carter, Voice

"I plan to go to grad school next fall or the following spring for film or graphic design and hopefully work for a magazine. I am a senior in the Photography department. One thing that makes us the number one art school is the caliber of [the] professors and grad students we have working here. Watching them accomplish everything they do is truly inspiring."
-Jill Comstock, Photography

"It's an honor to be associated with a prestigious art school. More than the degree, I feel that the networking I've acquired while in here the Photography program has been extremely beneficial thus far. After graduation, I plan to work commercially until I can get a studio up and running. Being my own boss is my ultimate goal I plan to achieve."
-Jessica Oriole Salay, Photography