aura Chester, a freshman at JU, Washington, D.C., in July. has been painting and drawing Chester, impressed by the high as long as she can remember. caliber artwork at the reception, said, “I Encouraged by her father, Allen, who felt a little out of my league.” drew with her daily, she was just five However humble, Chester has won years old when she created one of her many awards throughout her young art first masterpieces – a watercolor of a career and was offered several sailboat. scholarships, including one to a Later, at age 18, Chester would prestigious art college. Ultimately, she create another masterpiece titled Love chose Jacksonville University, where she That Hair that would be chosen to hang believes she’ll get more “one on one” in the Capitol Building in Washington, with the teachers. D.C., through summer 2005. JU wasn’t new to Chester, either. As a high school senior at Douglas She had attended summer high school Anderson School of the Arts in classes in glassblowing and ceramics at Jacksonville, Chester was encouraged by JU and knew the quality of the arts her art teacher to enter the national program. Her sister, Dabney, a Congressional Art Competition. photographer, also went to JU and her Her pastel portrait of a determined mom, Virginia, is a JU librarian. Freshman Laura Chester’s portrait of a young African-American model in Chester has been featured in several young model (top right) was chosen to dreadlocks won first place, representing hang in the U.S. Capitol Building. newspapers and will have her art on the the 3rd Congressional District. Chester cover of Southwest Airlines magazine. and her family were flown, compliments of Southwest To get a look at her portfolio, visit her website at www.chesterart.com. Airlines, to a reception of national winners in
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student news
From Capitol to College, Laura Chester’s Art Comes First
Students Work and Play During Spring Trip to the Tropics uring their weeklong break in March, 25 Jacksonville University students spent some time on the beach, playing in the sand and water. It wasn’t all fun in the sun however. They also cleaned up the beach, planted trees at a local school, and laid mountain trails – all in tropical hotspot Costa Rica. Their trip was part of Alternative Spring Break, a national trend that encourages college students to spend their time off volunteering domestically and around the world. The students spent most of their time in the small town of Guayabo, the hometown of Jacksonville banker Federico Ledezma of Wachovia. Ledezma helped organize the trip and find volunteer projects, then accompanied the group to Costa Rica. Geography professor Dr. Ray Oldakowski, Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Quint White, and Community
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Service Director Chris Tyler also chaperoned the group. Throughout the week, students spruced up a local high school, visited an orphanage, and laid trails at the mountain resort of Monteverde. They also squeezed in some sightseeing in San Jose, the capital city. At night, students and In Guayabo, Costa Rica, the JU contingent poses professors bunked with local host with their host families – practically the entire families (swelling the population of village. the tiny town) and practiced their Spanish language skills. The service the students performed was part of the 50 hours they are required to complete before graduation. They also received some course credit for their academic studies of Costa Rica, led by Oldakowski. Faculty leaders have already begun organizing next year’s JU students Eric Meichtry and Joni Petry, and geography Professor Ray Oldakowski were guided Alternative Spring Break trip. by a Costa Rican parks worker (right) during Ecuador has been selected as the next their service at the mountain resort of Monteverde. destination . JU MAGAZINE/FALL 2004
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