Career Profiles
Robin was an art major while he attended Messiah College. He recognized that art was one of his primary interests, and he chose Messiah instead of an art school because he felt he could benefit from the various facets of a liberal arts education. As a student, it was important for Robin to be a well-rounded individual. Today he believes that the exposure to diverse ideas and subjects provided by the liberal arts has been foundational for the career he has chosen.
"Messiah's mission statement guides people into service oriented careers," Robin believes, and he serves others through his knowledge of art. He also believes that his liberal arts education provided him with a balance of abilities and experience that not only advanced his vocation but also helped shape the person he is today.
He asserts that his most valuable experiences outside of the classroom while attending Messiah were the internship opportunities he took advantage of. He spent a summer with the Walters Art Museum of Baltimore in the installation department, and he also interned at a private art gallery in York for a semester. Robin describes these internships as "the other side of the coin" as they provided him with valuable experience that supplemented what he was learning in the classroom. Internships opened up a new world of possibilities of ways and places he could apply his art major.
After graduating from Messiah, Robin wanted to take a year off before going on to graduate school. However, he did not take a break from education. He took literature courses while working for a public library. He then went on to receive his M.P.A in painting from the University of Pennsylvania. Following his graduate study, he worked for the Philadelphia Museum of Art for five years, after which time he was invited to work for the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he works today.
Robin is currently the head of the slide library at Savannah College of Art and Design, preparing over 325,000 slides for faculty and student use. He is content with his position and looks forward to exploring the digital realm as such technology progresses. He also looks forward to presenting his own art at shows in the future.
Robin describes his occupation as virtually "stress free." He works during the late afternoon cataloging art and overseeing student work-studies. As a result of his later shift, his mornings are free for him to create art of his own.
REMEMBER...
• "Look into internships!"
• "Try to find out what you are interested in, and find [an internship] that fits with that." |
Robin realizes that personal vocation represents more than one's specific occupation. He understands that his college experience and career path contribute to the quality of his life, but do not ultimately determine it: "It is not my job that gives my life meaning, but it gives me time to do things that have meaning."
"Messiah College opens up a mindset to a service-oriented career," Robin comments. He believes that his experience at Messiah has influenced his decision to serve others, whether he is comiling slides for students and professors, working with graduate students on their thesis, or stirring people's emptions through his paintings.
Discover the career journeys of other Messiah grads who work in higher education:
Fabienne Doucet, assistant professor of family studies
Stephen Lias, professor of music theory
Jon Benda, professor of foreign languages and literature
Kimberly Thornbury, dean of students
Tonya King, associate professor of biostatistics
Owen Byer, professor of mathematics
Profile by Maria Karlya, 2005
