Norwalk Community College

Spotlight

Meg Gervasio, Studio Arts, 2008

Forever and Always, digital print, 8" x 10", 2007

When I first attended NCC, I was a Criminal Justice and Psychology major. If someone told me that three years later I would be an art major, I probably would have laughed at them. I was a Criminal Justice major for two years before realizing two things. One, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do in this field of work and two; I was not very interested in this field and was incredibly unhappy.

I had always been interested in art as a child but had never taken any formal classes outside of high school. As I was scanning through the Norwalk Community College Fall catalogue two years ago, I decided to take an art class. The course I chose was Drawing I. I was terrible at first! There were many ripped, crumpled pieces of paper, curse words and “I quits.” But, through it all my instructor, Joe Fucigna, kept saying, “Do battle with the drawing.” After an entire semester of “doing battle,” with my drawings felt I had won the first round and was hooked. Drawing I became the doorway to my passion and to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Three years later and I am still studying art at Norwalk Community College. Drawing I was the beginning, the doorway to a new world of creative expression. Currently I am a Studio Arts major, who lives, eats, breathes and wears art. I have taken almost every studio art class at NCC and can say that not only are the classes stimulating, challenging and fun but the professors in the Art Program are incredible. They become your mentors, your heros and your family. They were always encouraging but continually pushing and challenging me to go beyond my expectations.

Another quote from a professor that stood out in my mind was “Cultivate your style”. At NCC, you do learn to cultivate your style and also who you are as a person. At this moment I have not only found out what I want to do with my life but, most importantly, I found myself along the way. In the Fall, I will be transferring into the Art Department at Salisbury University in Maryland.

To summarize my experience at Norwalk Community College I would like to say “Take an art class”, open the door “do battle”, “cultivate your style”, and set yourself free because who knows what you might find along the way.