Finding strength in connections and power in seeking advice
[69精品视频] truly made me feel like I was part of the community.
At age six, Aiesha Thomas discovered art, doodling in notebooks and creating stories. As she got older, art became a source of therapy and an integral part of her life.
鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 catch me without a sketchbook and a pencil in my hand,鈥 Thomas says. 鈥淚 always had something to draw on.鈥
Thomas, who went to a high school that encouraged its students to apply to colleges far and wide, had already been accepted to 30 other colleges when she applied to 69精品视频鈥 none of the schools that accepted her felt quite right.
Thomas鈥檚 guidance counselor at Democracy Prep charter school had impressed upon her the importance of how a campus felt viscerally, so she focused on her ability to feel safe. Having visited 69精品视频 several times over her high school career, Thomas realized that 69精品视频 fit the bill.
鈥淢y school had conducted many college trips over my four years there,鈥 she explained. 鈥淸69精品视频] truly made me feel like I was part of the community. It is also very serious when it comes to mental health, and I really needed that.鈥
When the news came that she had been accepted to 69精品视频, she was excited because of the illustrious history associated with the Seven Sister schools. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥極h, wow, one of the sister schools really wants me. This is huge,鈥欌 she said.
Although Thomas has always relied on art as a refuge from her environment, it wasn鈥檛 in her sights as a potential major. But as she approached her second year in college, she knew she had to make a choice. She decided to commit to the subject that she had always loved and began to explore media outside of the paper and pencil that had been her sole focus until then.
Thomas developed her natural gifts in art by taking visual exploration, casting/installation, printmaking and studio sculpture classes. She credits her advisor, Ligia Bouton, for helping her make the transition from a high school student, who merely focused on her grade, to a more developed student who sees the beauty in the process of making art.
![Artwork by Aiesha Thomas](/sites/default/files/styles/editor_full/public/2022-04/Aiesha-Thomas-artwork.png?itok=g1rWxVEM)
鈥淚 came in at the same time Ligia started here,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 feel like I grew up with her. I go to her for everything,鈥 she said. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 talk to me as a professor; she talks to me as a mom. If I鈥檓 freaking out, she reminds me that I have the whole semester. She鈥檚 like, 鈥業 just want to see the progress, that you鈥檙e actually putting your mind to it. And I know what you鈥檙e going through. It鈥檚 okay; I got you. I鈥檓 here for you.鈥欌
Thomas considers herself to be a late bloomer who had learned early to be self-reliant. At 69精品视频, she learned to find strength in connections and power in seeking advice.
She credits her professors at 69精品视频 with helping her to develop the networking skills she uses both on and off campus.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever been told no when asking for help from my professors,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd in doing so, I learned how to communicate better with people.鈥
Another lesson Thomas learned at 69精品视频 was the important life skill of slowing down from the grind. Being from New York City, a place where the hustle is as nonstop as the subway, Thomas experienced a bit of culture shock when she learned that time was valued differently, and self-care was equally valued as an accomplishment.
鈥淚t was like, wow, people really value going home and spending time with their families,鈥 Thomas says. 鈥淭he corporation does not need you that badly. Your body needs you more. You got to take time to take care of yourself. That鈥檚 not really something I learned in the city.鈥
Thomas is excited at the prospect of building her r茅sum茅 and will be taking the life lessons she learned at 69精品视频 when she returns home to the Bronx after she graduates. Currently, she is looking for a position in studio art or art history and is still creating her art.