Norwalk Community College

Spotlight

Joelle Calderon, Studio Arts, 2018

Untitled, Painting I

When I started at NCC I was unsure of myself, convinced that I was not qualified to go to college. I had many doubts about my ability. I had no direction and no goals. I entered the art program as a default, having never before taken a real art class before I was nervous. I braced myself for failure. But to my surprise my grades surpassed my expectations, my previous doubt faded away due to the support and reassurance I received from my professors and classmates.

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, exclusively from life, but never explored other media or subject matter on my own. Taking studio classes forced me out of my comfort zone and the professors encouraged me to experiment. By my last semester I had overcome my fear of working with color, Photography (more or less), and unexpectedly found myself interested in pursuing graphic design. And most importantly stopped comparing myself to others and truly believed in my own ability.

Throughout my time here at NCC I have learned so much. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to gain from my professors knowledge and time invested into me. Not to mention support from my creative classmates. Attending NCC was one of the best experiences of my life. I believe that my time here has helped to boost my confidence and gave me a better understanding of what I can accomplish with hard work, not just in the classroom. After graduation I am going to continue with my education to get my Bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

I will always be my worst critic, which will drive me to work harder, but I will never be done because I know I could always do better.