Commencement

Last Friday, I attended my extraordinary student Arielle's graduation from The High School of Art & Design. Boy, what a way to understand the diverse student body and feel the excitement of students and parents from just about every background. Keynote speaker Dennis M. Walcott pointed out that The Riverside Church—a center of social activism—was the perfect venue. Walcott, who was more compelling and inspiring than most of the other adult speakers, dispensed advice without making it seem too hackneyed: Give Back. Make sure you find a way to make the world a better place. Always learn. Always take risks. Never be afraid to fail. Through failure, you learn.

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As Salutatorian (a title that seems so Marx Brothers; I mean the comics, not Karl Marx the "philosopher, social scientist, historian and revolutionary"), Arielle held her own. Driven and disciplined, Arielle would have no doubt succeeded without a mentor, but AIGA/NY Mentoring afforded many opportunities for seminars, scholarships, projects, portfolio reviews, and engaged guidance. As Arielle's mentor, I learned from her too.

In the bag

My very most astounding and excellent student Arielle, whom I've mentored for the last three years, survived the grueling college application process and got a thumbs up from eight of her ten applications (Brown put her on the waiting list). Her final decision was between MICA and RISD. Arielle chose the latter; I got a bag from each school. Arielle—who won not only some aid from RISD but also a Mentoring Scholarship—graduates from New York City's High School of Art & Design late this month. I am one proud (and lucky) mentor. Congratulations graduates—and teachers!