Alyssa Wood (Class of 2016)
Major: Art Therapy
Minor: Psychology
I chose Marywood because of Marywood’s well-known art therapy program. It is one of the few schools that offer art therapy in both the undergraduate and graduate level. The professors of the art therapy department are very knowledgeable in the field and gave me enough information to where I felt comfortable advancing in art therapy. Marywood gave me more opportunities for scholarships than any other school I had applied to as well. I also chose Marywood because of it’s foundations in faith and values.
I am majoring in Art because I could not see myself majoring in anything else. Ever since I was little I have been in love with art and had answered every “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question with a career in which art was at its center. Art has been in my life forever and I wasn’t willing to give it up anytime soon so I decided to pursue it and have not regretted that decision once.
When I’m not in class, I can be seen outside (when Scranton supplies good weather) doing something active or just simply being with nature. However, during Scranton’s winter months I go into hibernation under an assortment of blankets along with some hot cocoa and a good movie for nights on end. Somewhere in the craziness of college life I find time to relax, eat, sleep and spend time with some of the wonderful people that have become my best friends with. I have become quite the multitasker.
My favorite classes so far have been every studio class, which I have truly enjoyed. I would find myself itching to get out of a lecture because I would have a studio next. I love my studio time because it is my own time to create and have help and professional guidance along the way. I also, as an art therapy major, enjoyed the art therapy undergraduate classes, such as Introduction to Arts and Healing, Approaches in Art Therapy, and Applications in Art Therapy, because they only fueled my excitement for a future career path as a licensed art therapist.
The coolest think I’ve done so far was attend a service trip to Morogoro, Tanzania in Africa. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. Marywood has provided so many opportunities to serve locally that I wanted to take it further and serve internationally. One of the days during this trip, the team and myself had an art day with the girls at the school where we were tutoring English. It was probably one of my favorite days we had spent there. I loved the room being filled with young girls getting the opportunity to create art when they are not presented with it frequently. I loved seeing the cultural differences in the art but yet seeing the same influence art can have which is universal. It only made me fall in love with my career path more.
When I graduate I hope to continue on to pursue my education in art therapy through graduate school. Even though graduate school intimidates me I am too excited to get closer to becoming an art therapist to let anything scare me off. I am extremely open to working with any population. I have been interested in working with trauma but have always had a love for special needs. I would want nothing else but to work with children in the long run. Most importantly, I hope to continue practicing creativity daily.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because I have truly grown into the artist and person I am today because of what I was provided with here at Marywood. I was trained to be a well-rounded artist and introduced to what being an art therapist entails. The facilities in the art department are any art lover’s dream to create in while the faculty pushes you to become the best you can be while allowing you to learn in whichever way works best for you. I not only feel prepared for my career but prepared for life, and I feel that is what a college experience is supposed to be.