I have graduated with an MFA and became a Board Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI). There are less than 300 CMI in the world. I have been published several times including the journal Cell Reports and Biology of Reproduction. For my career path I am working closely with the United States Air Force.
Pursuing a Passion
I attended the Rochester Institute of Technology to obtain a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in medical illustration. The school is one out of four in the United States that offer this program. I am combined both my art and biology degrees that I received from the University of Mount Union to do what I love most – draw.
Why Mount Union
I chose Mount Union because I liked the idea of a small school. I feel like I learn better in a smaller classroom setting.
Caring Professors
I feel like the professors at Mount Union really care about their students and want to know them. This doesn’t always happen at other colleges. I still keep in touch with the same three Mount Union Faculty that have helped me on my career path, they are Dr. Charles McClaughtery (retired), Margo Miller and Joel Collins (retired).
Internships
I had two internships while at Mount Union. I had one at the Feline Historical Museum in Alliance for about two years. They contacted the art department at the Mount Union and I heard from a teacher they were looking for a student. The second internship, through Dr. McClaughtery, was designing the historical visual tour at the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center. Both were wonderful experiences! I learned so much and met some wonderful people.
Extracurricular Involvement
I was involved in Tri- Beta and Kappa Pi at Mount Union.
Preparation for Grad School
The education that I received at Mount Union taught me the foundations so I could move forward with my education. During my last few semesters, the professors allowed me to focus on what I wanted to do. This gave me valuable knowledge and skills that I needed to advance to the graduate school level with such a specific niche!
Lifetime Goals
My long term goal to experience cultures is still the same and very broad. I am still striving to experience as much as I can in my lifetime.
Good Investment
Mount Union has given me something I don’t think I would have been able to find at other schools. When I first started as a freshman, I had the idea I wanted to be a biology major and art minor, however, after some discussion and the guidance of my advisor to take some more art classes, I changed to art as a major. This then led to the idea of how could I combine these two completely different topics into one. My advisor was there again to assist me, taking a personal interest in my future. Without that guidance, I would not be where I am today!
Medical Illustration
What I love best about the field that I am in is that I am doing what I love! Drawing and art has always been a passion for me. With the combination of science and art, I believe medical illustration is the best fit for me. As of now I have no regrets and am happy with where I am.