september
vol. 2
Why Otis?
no. 1
Yvette Sobky-Shaffer Dean of Admissions
So when I run into that alum who is a lead designer at Mattel or when I see the Sony campaigns produced by our former workstudy student—that’s when I know that what he or she did at Otis made a difference.
and professional practice, developed time management and discipline, and learned how to be critical and solve problems. So when I run into that alum at the local grocery store who is a lead designer at Mattel or when I see the Sony campaigns produced by our former work-study student—that’s when I know that what he or she did at Otis made a difference.
I want parents to know that their son or daughter can get a job with a degree in art.
In order for me to tell you why I believe in an Otis education, you need to know a little bit about me. I am the daughter of an immigrant from Egypt, and a first generation Hungarian/ Lithuanian. When I was seventeen and considering my college options in suburban Ohio, I could not depend on my parents or a career counselor to help me sort through all of the options. My dad went to college on another continent, and my mom never completed a degree. So, what did I do? I applied to the college that the girl who sat next to me in class did. I didn’t apply for financial aid, I made all the mistakes, and were it not for a little luck and some decent grades, I would never have obtained a bachelor’s degree. In retrospect, while I do not regret the college I selected, I certainly could have done a better college search! I had been told that I was good at math and that I should do something smart people do—not be an artist. I was told that if I became an artist, I would never get a job and that I would live in my parents’ basement. I majored in what amounted to “undecided” and while I took a lot of art courses, I also took many mainstream courses that I could fall back on. When I came to Otis fifteen years ago, I was immediately impressed by the students’
work. The skills exhibited by first year Foundation students far exceeded my own, and the pieces from junior level students looked like they had been done by industry professionals. I was also struck by the level of diversity at Otis. As I walked through the halls, I was met by students from all over the US and the world—rich and poor, and of all ages. Here were students who all had one shared goal: to be professional artists and designers. In the fifteen years since Otis moved to the Goldsmith The students I Campus, we have worked with fifteen grown from 650 to years ago are now 1,200 students and professional added two buildings. artists and designers. We still maintain that ethnic and fiscal diversity, and as a first generation American, I am proud that we have developed a community of artists who can respect and learn from each other’s differences and embrace our shared values. More importantly, those students I worked with fifteen years ago are now employed as fine artists and designers. The education they received was transformative. It wasn’t just about their growth or getting a degree for the sake of having that piece of paper; here at Otis, they balanced their creative
I see myself in all of the students who apply to Otis. Each digital file is a person who wants to go to college to become an artist. I work in a profession that makes dreams come true. We want that girl who was told that she should be an engineer to know that following her heart and becoming an artist is just as smart. I want the parents of that first-generation student to know that their son or daughter can get a job with a degree in art. I want that student to know that there are choices beyond the U.S. News and World Report “Top 50 Colleges in America.” I believe in the investment and the value of an education at Otis. Otis has maintained its ethnic and fiscal diversity.
I also believe that each student deserves attention and assistance in their college search. Please feel free to reach out to us to visit, to ask questions, and to decide if Otis is the place for you, just as I found it to be the place for me.