Using my scholarship from the PRCAC, I attended the six-week Pre-College program at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, RI. Pre-College is an experience designed to resemble the first year, foundations year, at what is often called "the Harvard of art schools." Students stay in RISD dorms and eat at the RISD cafeteria, and are expected to manage their own time and behavior, much like at college. Students chose one of 21 majors; I chose Illustration. Each week was structured the same, with the same twenty students from my major in every class. On Monday we had Drawing Foundations; Tuesday and Friday were our major, Illustration. Wednesday was Critical Studies in Art (basically art history and analysis), and Thursday was Design Foundations. Class started at 9 am, and ended at 4 or 4:30 pm, with a lunch break midday. After class, most time was spent on assignments. RISD Pre-College was a lot of work, but I also got out what I put in. For every late night, a potential portfolio piece and valuable skills were created. Six weeks spent with the same people also forged incredible friendships, and the people more than anything were what made the experience so phenomenal. Pre-College provided a hint of what college will be like, and also helped me to know better what I want to do and where I want to go for college. Honestly, these six weeks at RISD were some of the best of my life and thank you so much to the PRCAC for helping me to experience them. Image: 3 6x6 miniature self-portraits, gouache
