{"id":14619,"date":"2015-05-19T15:05:27","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T19:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/news\/article.php?ArticleID=14619"},"modified":"2018-09-21T12:14:42","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T16:14:42","slug":"14619_college-of-the-arts-graduates-of-2015-shine-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/arts\/2015\/05\/19\/14619_college-of-the-arts-graduates-of-2015-shine-on\/","title":{"rendered":"College of the Arts Graduates of 2015, Shine On!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Congratulations Graduates!<\/h2>\n

Assembled in Sprague Field on the University Campus, 500 of 680 soon-to-be College of the Arts graduates in attendance were celebrated by the University faculty, administration, and nearly 3500 cheering guests on May 18th.\u00a0 It was an evening filled with joy, excitement and expressions of tribute, as students gathered to be recognized, once more, before heading to Commencement.\u00a0 The students, as did the faculty, had much to say as they reflected on their college experience and in anticipation of their next chapters that await.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are thrilled to see them grow and move on, but we\u2019ll certainly miss them,\u201d said Prof. Neil Baldwin of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Dressed in regalia and grinning from ear-to-ear, students posed for photos with their teachers, while laughing, embracing and trading stories. The boisterous energy was infectious as they lined up before the grand procession onto Sprague field, where staff and faculty beamed with excitement, joining students as they celebrated their accomplishments realized at the College of the Arts, and of all those to come.<\/p>\n

Music Theory and Composition student Carlos Bandera, from the John J. Cali School of Music, will be attending The Peabody Institute at The Johns Hopkins University in the fall, where he will continue his studies after graduating, pursuing a Masters degree in composition.\u00a0 \u201cI was interested in applying to Johns Hopkins because it\u2019s a renowned program, and I was encouraged by my teacher Prof. Kenneth Lam, who also attended the Conservatory,\u201d said Mr. Bandera enthusiasm, \u201cI\u2019m ready to take the next step, to start the next chapter of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heather Pollak, a Dance major and Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society member who after graduation is attending the prestigious Master of Science in Performing\u00a0Arts\u00a0Leadership and\u00a0Management program at Shenandoah University.\u00a0 “Graduation is exciting, but bittersweet, as I\u2019m leaving behind my dance performance family,\u201d said Pollak of her classmates in the Department of Theatre and Dance.\u00a0 With a lifetime of dance and focused performance study while at the College of the Arts, Ms. Pollak is looking forward to her bright future in leadership and administration in the performing arts.<\/p>\n

A recent School of Communications and Media (SCM) graduate who completed her studies early, Nina Baratti returned to Convocation as a full-time reporter at local news organization SNJ Today. \u00a0\u201cEveryday I\u2019m reporting on television or radio,\u201d said Ms. Baratti who explained how the College of the Arts prepared her for her new role. \u201cI learned how be on camera, edit, and write within the extremely hands-on program that helped prepare me for the real world.\u201d \u00a0When asked about her career plans, Ms. Baratti said she\u2019d like to continue and grow as a reporter with her organization, and \u201cbecause I acquired so many skills at Montclair State, I feel I can do so many things.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Caliendo, a Musical Theatre graduate who felt \u201cthe four years here flew by\u201d also felt prepared and excited as he moves on after Convocation.\u00a0 \u201cThe arts professional training program has readied me for what\u2019s to come,\u201d said Mr. Caliendo, who will be performing in next month\u2019s production of Steven Sondheim\u2019s \u201cCompany\u201d at The Bucks County Playhouse, a theatre in New Hope PA widely known as a stepping-stone to Broadway.\u00a0 \u201cI can say that with one-hundred-and-ten percent confidence because as I have come to work with highly experienced people in the production, and the program prepared me for that professional environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honored with the Dean\u2019s Scholar\/Artist Award and the College of the Arts Art Education Award, Rebecca Zuniga, with her parents and family, attended the Department of Art and Design awards ceremony at the bustling George Segal Gallery, where the BFA Thesis Show Exhibition was also on show.\u00a0 \u201cI feel very honored,\u201d said Ms. Zuniga, who explained how she completed her art education studies in four years rather than the typical five years that the program prescribes.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a lot of hard work and late nights, but winning the awards was like the cherry on top of my experience at College of the Arts.\u201d\u00a0 Ms. Zuniga is moving on to continue her career in arts education to a teaching position Rutherford High School in NJ.<\/p>\n

Each of the College’s graduates has contributed immensely to the vitality, spirit, and vast accomplishments of the vibrant arts community. They will always be an essential part of Montclair State’s history and future, and will always have a home at the College of the Arts–as alumni!<\/p>\n