SCAD’s Inspiration Is Found in Its Students by Tylor

SCAD’s Inspiration Is Found in Its Students by Tylor - November 2022 Scholarship Essay

The most surprising source of inspiration that I have found this school year so far has been other students. I am a first-year student at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), majoring in Digital Photography and Visual Filmmaking. Fall Quarter has been my first quarter, and as we near the final week of the quarter, I have been considering the impact that being at SCAD in 2022, with this diverse group of people, has had on me. I have grown in my first quarter while being a student at SCAD.

SCAD, founded in 1978, is a private, nonprofit, and accredited school offering more than one hundred arts and design‐focused programs with two physical locations in Georgia, additional worldwide campuses, and an online campus. More than 15,000 students from all fifty states and more than one hundred countries currently attend SCAD. Each SCAD location offers new experiences for students - SCAD considers all its locations as the same parts of the university - students can study at any campus during any quarter throughout their education. I attend SCAD’s Atlanta campus location, but I am most excited to move to the Savannah, GA, and France locations. Of the seven hundred full‐ and part‐time faculty, 76 percent have earned the highest academic degrees awarded in their fields (terminal degrees). All faculty have distinguished backgrounds in their fields and hold recognitions ranging from Emmy and Academy Awards to best‐selling publications and regular appearances on lists of the most admired educators. Besides the high caliber of the faculty, SCAD offers state‐of‐the‐art specialized equipment, innovative technology, and world-class film production studios.

SCAD has an enrollment of more than 15,000 creative and artistic students worldwide: I find that impressive! The 2022-2023 class saw record student enrollment even as other schools experienced a decline in admissions. From multiple hair colors to varied dialects, students at SCAD bring a multitude of skills and talents with them, along with their individual cultural histories and perspective. I meet people from multiple states and countries, and I learn from each of them. One classmate I recently met spent her entire lunch hour counseling me on life skills and talking about her experiences in personal and educational settings. It helped me frame my new experiences at SCAD and plan for the next few quarters. Other students have offered advice on drawing techniques, software usage, and design skills. Our classes require us to present our work and critique one another regularly - each student brings a unique perspective that expands the horizons of this formerly homeschooled kid on the autism spectrum. Students at all skill levels at SCAD help one another grow and learn daily. As we have 10-week quarters, the work is fast-paced and challenging, and we must learn from one other. I have had SCAD students as tutors who have helped me in Business and Drawing classes, each offering new ways to complete tasks. Beyond our class load, hearing the life experiences of other students has opened my eyes to a world I had not experienced before. I am an adopted foster child who happens to be on the autism spectrum. Due to my neurodivergence and shyness, I have not shared the same experiences as other teenagers. It is good to hear about them and to learn from their stories. I appreciate the value of other people’s experiences.

I have found that students at my college have been the most surprising source of inspiration at school this year so far. SCAD students are creative and inspirational and offer experiences benefiting a bashful, non-typical student like me.