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Pursuing a Career in Illustration: Bringing Storytelling and Business Together

Posted by dus1269

When Andrés Palacios Constanza ’25 reflects on his childhood in Guatemala, one of his favorite memories involves drawing. He and his brother attended arts classes as a chance to find their creative voices, and this gave Constanza the opportunity to draw freely for the first time.  

He loved it so much that he envisioned his future as an illustrator—until robotics caught his attention. “I even considered changing high schools at one point so I could join a better math program,” he explains.    (more…)

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A Double Act: Mastering Creative Leadership While Working Full-Time

Posted by dus1269

When AJ Schwartz ’26 moved to Chicago to study theater at Loyola University, they found more than the right degree program in The Windy City—they also found their creative community. 

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2017, Schwartz served as a freelance director and arts administrator for some of the city’s most notable storefront theater companies: About Face Theatre, Steep Theatre, First Floor Theater, etc.   (more…)

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Bringing Business, Creative, and Self-Reflection Skills Together

Posted by dus1269

While Zahra Freedman ’24 was always surrounded by music as a child, she often felt like it was being placed in front of her through structured experiences like classical piano and band lessons—not like she was intentionally moving toward it. Instead, she enjoyed creative writing, participating in national writing competitions and developing short stories on the spot.  (more…)

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Using Creative Arts to Make Meaningful Change

Posted by dus1269

When Minh Hà Millie Lê ’24 was young, she imagined a career as a difference-maker.  

A Vietnamese third-culture kid, Lê has always been curious about people. She participated in student government and served as student body president, volunteered, and was part of Model United Nations, hoping to one day serve on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. 

By the time high school ended, however, she learned that UN resolutions take a long time to pass. “There are people better suited for that environment. They’re patient enough to work through resolution after resolution,” says Lê. “But it wasn’t for me. I felt more of an urgency in reaching people.”   (more…)

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From Spreadsheets to Screenplays: Finding a Way to Bridge Two Worlds

Posted by kel643

With a fascination for film and an undergraduate degree in economics, Yuhan Liu ’24 felt like she was always looking for common ground between her studies and her love for creative industries.

Although she was studying finance in college, pursuing a bachelor’s from Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics, she didn’t forget how much she enjoyed working on films in high school.

As a member of a student film association in Beijing, she had the opportunity to create and produce several short films for festivals across Asia. “Our group also represented China in the Asian International Children’s Film Festival in Japan,” Liu explains. “We got the chance to learn how different cultures in Asia approach creative thinking and production work.”

(more…)

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Turning Degrees into Dreams: Promoting Creative Industries Worldwide

Posted by dus1269

Growing up, Ali Almansour ’24 could often be found amid groups of students who were eager to hear him read his latest short story or pore over a journal entry he had written over the weekend.

“I’ve always felt like writing is my superpower,” says Almansour. “I love using writing to tell people about experiences I’ve had or report on what I see as I travel.”

He has carried this talent with him throughout his education, as he earned a degree in English and literature, finished his MBA, attended classes online at Harvard Business School, and ultimately received a PhD in Instructional Management and Leadership from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Along the way, he taught for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education and Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR. (more…)

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Transitioning from Stage to Strategy, Connecting Communities to Classical Music

Posted by dus1269

Captured by @SeanSuPhoto

Rachel Garoon ’24 sometimes feels like she speaks music better than she speaks English. In addition to playing a slew of instruments ranging from piano and violin to clarinet, she also sang in middle school and high school.

“It was a high school choir teacher who, upon hearing me sing, said, ‘I think it would be beneficial for you to look at vocal performance degrees,’ implying classical music and opera,” says Garoon. “These were worlds I knew nothing about at the time.” (more…)

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Honing Teamwork and Leadership Skills On and Off the Field

Posted by dus1269

When he was only 14, Ugochukwu Achara ’24 moved from his home country of Nigeria to the United States with two goals in mind: to accelerate his education and to play soccer.

He attended private school for a year before finishing his high school diploma at Berkshire School in Massachusetts. From there, he came to Northwestern to study learning and organizational change and play soccer. Two years in, he transferred to the University of Louisville to focus more on athletics while also completing a BS in Communication. (more…)

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