Student Stories
What would our college be without our incredible students? Here, some of our student artists and scholars reflect on their time as part of our CFA community, and the lasting impression it has left on them.
Kelsey Ang
Dance
“My experiences at LMU have taught me to be open-minded and curious to different possibilities. I want to inspire a global community of creative, diverse and empowered movers by sharing my passions for dance and marketing.”
Gabrielle Riter
Art History
"One of the most important aspects of my time at LMU was my work study job. I soon realized that with librarianship, I could make my love for learning, reading, art, and public service into a career."
Ivan Lopez
Marital and Family (Art) Therapy (M.A)
"Art produces a sense of joy, competence, strength, curiosity, and sometimes even frustration. I want to learn about peoples’ stories, use art to tell these stories and make sense of them with the goal and intention of healing."
Natalie Meins
Studio Arts
"I love that I can text questions to my art professors and they're always willing to help. I love going in the studio late at night to find some of my friends already there making something dope. LMU has always felt like we're all in this together."
Maddie Sharp
Dance, Psychology
"All of the dance training I have received at LMU has been very versatile, exploring many distinctly different techniques within each of the offered styles. Knowing that I have had a wide variety of movement training, I feel more confident stepping into new dance spaces and auditions."
Camille Orozco
Music, Political Science
"College is a unique time where you can truly dedicate yourself to your passions and expand your interests. Curious about Russian literature? Take a class! Want to sing at an open mic? Go for it! LMU has so many resources and incredible staff and faculty members who are truly dedicated to helping all students have a fantastic college experience."
Thomas Chavira
Theatre Arts: Performance Pedagogy (MFA)
"It’s an honor to carry LMU’s reputation of exceptional work to my future endeavors. The personal investment that so many of my professors have made in me further fuel to provide the same for my students in the future."
Priya Dufton
Theatre Arts
"LMU has really given me the opportunity to pursue my passions and this year I was able to use my Senior Thesis project to create a podcast that I cohost called Brown Skin, White Lies, which explores the misrepresentation of South Asians in film, television and theatre."
Sonsoles Ramirez
Communication Studies
"LMU puts such a big emphasis on being "with and for others," and the service orgs are the epitome of that vision. LMU provided me with the opportunity to find likeminded people and get the most out of my four years on campus."
Jessica Dickerson
Theatre Arts
"I picked LMU because of the small individualized classroom setting and I left with life-long friends, mentors, and experiences that I will never take for granted."
Alan Corvaia
Theatre Arts
"I'm eternally grateful to have inhabited the lair of love LMU created for me. I’m not even from this country, but right here and now I’ve been reminded that I belong to this community and everywhere in the entire world. There is not a single person at LMU who doesn't deeply desire to leave a positive mark on this world; to set the world on fire with grace and unity."
Yolanda Ezquerro
Communication Studies
"Through each internship I cultivated and curated exactly what I wanted to do, ultimately falling in love with public relations and deciding to pursue my masters."
Simrah Farrukh
Studio Arts
"I decided Studio Arts was the rich step for me because I wanted a space to fulfill my creative desires while at the same time receiving opportunities to grow as a professional."
Josh Grisetti
Theatre Arts: Performance Pedagogy (MFA)
"I would never have been ready to teach effectively in higher education without the support of the LMU performance pedagogy program. This program allowed and encouraged me to act, direct, and teach elsewhere in tandem with my studies."
Jeannette Martinez
Art History
"I believe that the reason I could balance extracurricular commitments, service, health, and my social life while at LMU was because I studied areas that truly move my spirit. I love studying and excelling in my classes because I am investing in my passions."
Becca Simor
Art History
"Through the courses I have taken at LMU and my experiences outside of the classroom, I have learned to be critical of the canon but also to see the possibilities of arts education for community building and social change."
Lilly McCarty
Music
"I wholeheartedly wish for the incoming underclassmen that you too are able to experience the magic that is LMU, and when that day comes, do not allow fear to hold you back from trying something new. Embrace vulnerability in your work, play and relationships. Go Lions!"
Mandy Moore
Studio Arts
"LMU prepared me for success, starting with my classes, which prepared me for my on-campus jobs, which in turn helped me land my dream internship. It is clear that the firm foundation I have developed here has set the stage for me to achieve my goals and will help me greatly in the future."
Cecilia Sanchez
Marital and Family Therapy/Art Therapy (M.A.)
"[The MFT department's] dedication to providing mental health support to underserved communities throughout the pandemic, and their ever-present support, helped guide my developing professional identity during unprecedented and challenging times. I aspire to further explore the power of art in creating, and healing, communities within the practices of art therapy in a diverse city like Los Angeles."
Eric Van Thyne
Music
"LMU really got me prepared to be working with other people – the academic and creative environment was fruitful and productive. I loved getting to compose music for student films and work on music projects with friends."