Emily Huff 

Vocational Speaker Reflection 

I deeply enjoy the vocational speakers we had this quarter because it allowed me to see different ventures and approaches in the art world. As a student, it is important to have resources for discerning vocation, so I am grateful that we got to have these discussions. 

Our first speaker was Claire Conway. Her presentation was very helpful because it was a good example of how to combine your interests into a vocation. Claire has a deep interest in travel and language learning, which I was able to relate to. She encouraged me to make time for study abroad in my college years because for her, it was a much-needed break creatively. I hope tyo do study abroad so I can further develop my Spanish speaking abilities, try new experiences, and be inspired creatively. Claire also was very realistic about the realities of entering the job force after college. This was helpful because it reduced some of the pressure to immediately get a “dream job”. It is likely that I will have to work odd jobs and live with roommates, but it was encouraging to see that Claire’s hard work payed off and that she landed a job which she loves. After college, I hope to be working somewhere where I feel welcomed and encouraged, as well as have overall balance in my life. Finally, Claire’s presentation made me think about the importance of not being overqualified. In her experience, she got a job because she was not too overqualified. I did not know this was such an important criterion when finding an entry level job, so I am glad that she told us about this. 

Unfortunately, I did not attend the second vocational talk, but I had multiple chats with Professor Alison Stigora this quarter that encouraged me to reflect more on my dreams vocationally. I initially reached out to her because I had questions about internships, and I wanted her opinion and advice. She encouraged me to check out local galleries, which reminded me that sometimes the best opportunities come from putting yourself out there in your local community. I also realized that having good relationships with SPU faculty is very important. Alison connected me with a gallery called the Vestibule, which I ended up getting an internship at for the summer. It was very encouraging to have an SPU faculty member actively thinking about and helping me with my vocational journey. From my talks with Alison, I also learned that it is important to try many different things artistically. Alison told me about how she initially studied painting and drawing, but then fell in love with sculpture. Although the switch to sculpture was unexpected and maybe a little intimidating, her flexibility allowed her to find a vocation which she loves. I want to continue to be curious and flexible in my process of creating art. I think there is always more to discover and find, and I am open to the idea of changing vocations if I find something new that I love.