BIO
PREFERRED PRONOUNS: She/Her/Hers
HOMETOWN: Clinton, Kentucky
YEAR AT MURRAY STATE: Senior
DEGREE: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education with drawing emphasis
QUIRKY FACT: I’ve been learning Cebuano (Southern Filipino language) to communicate with my relatives more.
FAVORITE MOVIE: Favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
FAVORITE FOOD OR DRINK TO GET ON CAMPUS: Sushi and iced matcha tea
FAVORITE CAMPUS EVENT: Cinema International
Q&A
Why did you choose to attend Murray State?
I discovered in high school that I really enjoyed creating and sharing art with others. My art teacher at the time inspired me to want to become an art educator like her, and when I found out she went to Murray State for the same degree, I began looking into MSU’s campus, community, program offerings, costs, and so on. I was impressed by what I found and a lot of my friends chose to attend this school as well, which was a bonus. Murray State has an amazing art department with even better professors, and after asking past alumni and researching what was offered, I thought this school was the best fit for me. It also is convenient that I am relatively close to home so I get the experience of living on my own as a young adult and also have the comfort of my family being available.
Why did you choose your major?
My major is a BFA in Art Education with an emphasis in drawing. My older sister is also an artist, and I remember when we were growing up she would always be drawing or making some form of art. We would watch a lot of cartoons and she would draw characters we saw or develop something new from what we watched. That would eventually evolve into her making more conceptual and developed pieces. I was so fascinated by her work, and once I hit high school, I started to delve more into the practice and developed a love for it, especially in drawing human experiences.
Wanting to become an educator resulted from my high school art teacher’s influence. She was someone who was there for my friends and me at a point when we were awkward and struggling with aspects like mental health and fitting into this world. In her, I saw care and attention to help us succeed, which sparked the urge in me to want to help others, teach students, and share my love for the arts. Being a teacher is so much more than wanting your students to get a good grade — it’s about wanting them to be successful members of society where they develop decision making, language, social, and problem solving skills. I want to foster that in younger generations using a subject as rich and multilayered as art.
Tell us about a few of your favorite courses, projects, or mentors.
Favorite courses: Out of all of my courses, taking advanced drawing classes (Drawing 4+) have been my favorite for being the perfect balance of fun and educational. What I enjoy most about them is the amount of freedom and open endedness that is allowed. The art department’s drawing professor, Todd Herzberg, truly allows students to explore and reflect on what they made or are currently making and works with you to push, pull, and develop a successful and engaging body of work. I thoroughly enjoy working with him to help bring my ideas to fruition.
Another mentor that I greatly value is Rebecca Williams, Murray State’s art education professor. She has such a huge heart and brings a positive light to all of her classes. She prepares students for anything you might encounter as an art teacher and emphasizes caring deeply about students in conjunction with creating prospering and multilayered art lessons. My fellow art education peers and I always talk about how lucky we are to have her here and how much we value her as a professor, advisor, and confidante. I’m sure I wouldn’t be as successful a student without her being part of Murray’s faculty.
Tell us about any accomplishments you’ve experienced while at Murray State, or any clubs/organizations you’ve enjoyed being a part of.
I actually transferred from WKCTC/Paducah School of Art and Design to Murray State after the 2+2 seamless transfer plan was enacted. I received a full scholarship from that college. When I graduated from WKCTC, I won the Outstanding Art Student award and first place in drawing in their annual student show. When I transferred to Murray State in the spring of 2020, I also won third place in the annual OMAS Art show open to all students on campus.
I also am a part of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Student Chapter and am currently the secretary of the organization (hopefully I can become president next semester!). While being a member of NAEA, I won the $500 scholarship offered at Kentucky’s statewide NAEA annual conference. I have also received numerous art-related and teaching-related scholarships in my time attending Murray State University that I am, as always will be, extremely grateful for.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After graduation I plan to travel as much as I can! A lot of artwork I make revolves around being bicultural and having the experience of being Filipino with a culture that I had little exposure to but am also always impacted by everyday. I want to travel and stay in the Philippines and then multiple other eastern and southern Asian countries that I draw a lot of inspiration from. I’d like to taste food that I incorporate in works in its full authenticity, see historical landmarks and locations, and experience the community and social aspects of these groups.
After traveling, I plan to start teaching full time for elementary or high school art somewhere in Kentucky and eventually in Canada. Once moving and finding a more permanent place to live there, I plan to get my Master’s degree in drawing to finally become a drawing professor.
What advice would you give to incoming students at Murray State?
Put yourself out there more. I struggled with being shy and pushing myself to be involved with more on campus events and especially events related to my major for a long time. Especially being a transfer student, it’s hard starting halfway at a new school where everyone already knows each other and where they’re at in their degree. I ended up feeling alone in a whole different world until I began talking more and sharing with others. Regardless, it does get easier, and there are plenty of resources on campus that can help. Join that club that you like, go talk to that person you think seems cool walking in your dorm, or strike up a conversation with other students in your class. It’s so easy to just be passive and wait for someone to approach you, but it’s healthy and beneficial to be a dynamic part of a community. Plus it makes your college experience much more fun.
Thank you, Kerrie!
College of humanities and fine arts 