Design by Brian Walbergh ‘11
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Ben Peterson ‘14
“Students come here to find their tribe.” Llew Mejia ‘12 Illustration “You could say the financial support gave me a leg up on time, as I would not have had the time or energy to focus on my work with a regular day job. It has helped me to travel and make connections and provided me with resources for post-graduation.”
It has allowed me to grow as a person and an artist. My style has changed. My teachers allow me to develop my own style. It’s amazing.” Ted Birt, 24, agrees. A senior graphic design major and a transfer student, he has benefitted from the NOW program in a basic way. “This scholarship helped cover my food and housing for my senior year, which helped me be healthy and comfortable,” Birt says. “Without aid, I would have had more postgraduation loans to pay off. Or I might not have been able to finish school. Period.” Needless to say, financial support is the number one priority for MCAD. “It is imperative we identify donors who believe in the institution enough to give financial support so MCAD can compete nationally on price and quality,” Coogan explains. “We are working very hard to offset costs by external sources such as private donors and philanthropic entities, alumni, and corporations.” These scholarship gifts will enable MCAD to attract students who will impact the future in critical and creative ways. A small amount of money can make the difference between staying in school full time and quitting. “Our students are a catalyst for creativity in the Twin Cities,” says Joan Grathwol Olson, MCAD’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “We need to keep them here.” About 60 percent of MCAD’s student body is from Minnesota and approximately forty percent are transfer students. But to stay competitive, according to William Mullen, Vice President of Enrollment Management, MCAD must recruit nationally. Statistics show that the Upper Midwest and the East Coast are losing one to two percent of their student population base each year as families move to the burgeoning Southeast and Southwest. Ironically, he points out, most colleges are in the East and
Graphic Design “At MCAD I’m much more confident that I will not only grow within school but that I will succeed after school as well. Things are much better at a school that knows me and supports me as an individual.”
Midwest. Thus, MCAD must attract out-of-state students who otherwise would take in-state financial support in states like Texas or California. “MCAD will provide $6.7 million in aid to students in the 2012–2013 academic year. And family incomes are flat,” states Mullen. “In order to provide support and services to a culturally diverse student body, raising scholarship money is critical.” Patricia Welch is a junior fine arts major, a mother of two, and a former photographer in New York. MCAD has given her an unparalleled experience studying sculpture. “With sculpture I had my first real breakout experience, where I did something totally different, on my own terms. I’ve never had that kind of breakout moment before, and I’ve wanted it all my life,” she enthuses. “Without financial suport, none of this would be possible.” No matter how one cuts the financial pie, student scholarships are critical to MCAD’s growth as an art and design college dedicated to quality, artistic integrity, and its students’ success. Grathwol Olson interprets MCAD’s appeal, if not its abstract importance, with a poetic observation about the MCAD experience. “Everybody knows everyone — and cares — at MCAD. Students come here to find their tribe.” Mejia concurs. “MCAD is fulfilling because of the family I have created by meeting various people and mutually recognizing commonalities in each other,” he says. “Making better connections with people who will help you later in your respective career is important.” Perhaps McKenzie Erickson puts the sharpest point on the critical importance of student scholarships. “You’re supposed to get as much out of school as you can,” she proffers. “And I am, because of my financial aid.” — Mason Riddle