Generations - April 2021

A Letter from Parent Council Member Marian Maier

As we approach the end of the spring semester, our senior students will be moving on to pursue their career goals in the arts. This phase of “the ending of school and the beginning of the rest of their lives” can be bittersweet. As they will miss their classmates and their college experience, they will feel the excitement of starting a new career or furthering their studies. So, how do we prepare our students for this next phase of their lives? I asked Parent Council members for their thoughts. 

Doug Kreitzberg, a father of a UArts senior, shared, “I learned long ago that the best way to help is not to offer help or advice but to be there when my child needs support. And when asked for advice, I try not to ‘should all over them’ by saying ‘you should do this’ or ‘you should do that.’ Instead, I only share experiences I’ve had and let them decide for themselves if it is relevant to their situation.”

Eric Fisher said, “Fortunately for Philadelphia, it will get to keep my son after graduation; we agree that he shall remain living alongside like-minded art students. Since he is currently employed in the hospitality business, this best serves him to continue to further capitalize upon his artistic growth by pursuing individual projects, along with a possible apprenticeship in sculpture design.”

Though my UArts student is a sophomore this year, her brother is a senior graduating from Penn State. I can relate to Doug’s approach of offering support: We want our young adults to make their own decisions yet offer our guidance when asked. 

So, as a parent of a college senior, I am preparing my son for the next phase of his life by sharing with him the following suggestions for succeeding in the workforce.  

Always be on time, look people in the eye while giving a firm handshake, dress for success, ask questions, learn everything about your position, always go the extra mile and give 150%. Respect those you work for and with; you will earn their respect in return.

In addition, I would like to offer our students some words of encouragement. You did it! You are graduating in very challenging times due to your hard work. Be your very best wherever your next phase takes you. Be confident. Learn all you can. Be inspired by the people, work and art around you, whether it be a voice, a painting, a song lyric, a film, a book, a sculpture or a dance. Also, be an inspiration to others! Break a leg and bring the house down, because you can! Stay positive, and positive things will happen for you.  

Most importantly, stay creative and develop your creativity every day. Think outside the box, because there is no normal. You can do anything and be everything all at the same time.  

There are no boundaries to creativity!

Congratulations to graduating seniors and best of luck to them!

Sincerely,

Marian Maier

Commencement 2021

For the Class of 2021, a remote campus means a new kind of Commencement experience. Though the original in-person ceremony must be postponed, faculty and staff have been working tirelessly to create a virtual Commencement experience on Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. EDT. 

This event will be livestreamed and available to anyone, and will be a participatory event that includes many of the traditions that make UArts’ graduation unique: awards, student performances, a valedictory speech and more. Honorary degree recipients, who will be announced at a later date, will also address the Class of 2021.  

In the meantime, as we celebrate the courageous, resilient Class of 2021, we will showcase students individually, highlighting the amazing creative successes they’ve had at UArts through their profiles pages on the Commencement site. Profiles serve as a professional presence and a wonderful source of pride. Students can include a headshot; three images, three audio files and three videos of their work; and links to their own websites, as well as their work on the web or social media accounts. 

Guidelines and deadlines for submission are listed on the Commencement site as well as the Canvas Class of 2021 page, which contains everything they need to know about their upcoming graduation as well as Life After UArts resources. The deadline for profile content submission is April 30, 2021.

Nothing is more special than the moment your student’s name is called and they receive their degree. Each student will be able to create a five- to 10-second video to introduce themselves during the ceremony and the traditional conferral of degrees. These videos can include family members, friends, pets and your student in their regalia (if they choose to wear it for the video), celebrating their moment! Your student can submit their video using this link. The deadline for videos is April 15, 2021.

We know that celebrating remotely is not a substitute for in-person celebrations, and Commencement celebrations will be held when it’s safe and feasible to do so. With this in mind, plans are already underway to host in-person celebrations by individual schools at a later date for the classes of 2020 and 2021. We promise to celebrate again, and in full force, the accomplishments of our graduating students. Dates will be shared once we know when it is safe to gather in celebration again.

If you have questions about Commencement, email commencement@uarts.edu. 

About Internships: Career Services

Internships are an excellent way for students to gain practical experience in their field. They can apply and enhance the skills and knowledge they have learned in the classroom and studio to the real world. Every student at UArts can have the opportunity to do an internship. Though most majors require an internship as a part of the curriculum, those that don’t require it offer internships as electives. 

Internships can be done in-person, remotely or hybrid. Some of the places students have interned recently include

• Alonzo King Lines Ballet,

• Center for Emerging Visual Artists,

• Greater Philadelphia Film Office,

• Live Nation,

• National Lampoon / PalmStar Media,

• Philly Young Playwrights and

• Printfresh Studio.

Students seeking internships for the upcoming summer and fall semesters should be actively engaged in identifying and applying to places of interest to them. UArts’ Career Services office recently hosted live Zoom sessions to provide information to students about the entire internship process, including the following information.

• The value of doing internships

• University policies

• Details on the steps in our pre-internship and registration process

• Advice and resources for finding internships

• How to ensure a quality internship experience

• Required internship assignments

• Timeline of important dates for summer and fall 2021 internships

View a recording of the presentation. 

Explore the corresponding slideshow, which includes clickable links to resources.

Students can meet virtually with Career Services to get help with any aspect of the internship process, including exploring and identifying potential internships, developing résumés and cover letters, and preparing for interviews. Students can schedule appointments online.