SORENSON ARTS SCHOLARS
SPOTLIGHT 2023
CREATED in 2006 through the generous support of Richard W. and Sandra L. Sorenson, the needs-based Sorenson Arts Scholarship is awarded to incoming first-year students with demonstrated talent who are interested in maintaining their artistic pursuits while at Babson. These students continue to develop as artists through mentorship, feedback, and structured annual projects. These projects start with an autobiographical piece, moving to exploring and expanding within and beyond their primary medium, to a capstone project that reflects the culmination of their time at Babson through their art. The Sorenson Arts Scholars Spotlight is an annual event where the scholars share their artistic process and finished project. This catalog illustrates a small part of the scholars’ journey and celebrates their commitment to their artistic development.
PAST RECIPIENTS
MADISON ADLER ’21
MARIA BLANCO ’20
JOSEPH NASH ’20
ALEXA FORGIONE ’19
ANNELIESE GLAUBITZ ’19
LAUREN NOHELTY ’18
MATTHEW HARD ’16
DOMINIC ESPOSITO ’15
MORGAN KEITH ’14
SUSANNA KROLL ’14
MEGAN BETTLES (OSINSKI) ’13
SUOPENG GAO ’11
ALEXANDER MARKOVITZ ’10
RAFAEL BALAGUER ’09
TY COHEN ’08
LAUREN SON (GREEN) ’06
SARAH HEALY ’06
AMARA OGUKWE ’22
Photos by Preston Whelchel
LOGAN HARRIS ’22
CAROLINE CLARK ’23
PHILADELPHIA, PA
I will be presenting my writing in an array of mediums – through poetry, short stories, and personal reflections. I started this project in August when I concluded that I have always created and written out of love yet I have struggled to do so with confidence. My Sorenson Arts presentation, “Meeting An Equilibrium of Love and Confidence” will be a culmination of my hardwork, creative expression, and self-love.
An Equilibrium:
In August of twenty-twenty-two,
I realized that I had been missing a piece of myself.
My writing, my painting, my relationships –they were all rooted in love.
But what do we do when love runs out?
We must believe in ourselves.
Through my ability to write about my hardships,
I’ve inspired others on behalf of my vulnerability and artistic expression.
Yet until now – I never quite understood the impact of my words.
In the heat of turbulent change, I am a twenty-two year old woman looking to make the most of my life.
My goal is to leave this Earth and every place I touch better than I left it.
But without self-love, self-reflection, and continual introspection,
We are nothing.
I’ve been running around for years now, Looking for an ailment for my shortcomings. Yet it was not until I looked in the mirror did I know what I needed.
Maybe the reason why I’ve lost it is because I gave too much of it away.
Love is not an infinite resource.
To love oneself is to love your brain despite its defects,
It’s loving your body despite its uneven curvatures, It’s looking back on your old archives and not hating the person you used to be.
It’s accepting the fact that we are impermanent beings.
One day, I will master the balance – between self-admiration and self-credence…
I will meet an equilibrium of self-love and selfconfidence.
SOOBIN LEE
NATICK, MA
’24
“Art is a very strong and therapeutic outlet for me, and I hope that my project can inspire and spread a little joy to the people who see it.” Soobin is studying abroad this year and we are excited for her return in the fall to see how her capstone project will develop.
COLBY MARTEL ’24
NASHUA, NH
I have been fascinated with art and puzzles since I was a toddler. In my senior year of high school, I finally learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube, and this year, I met a friend who creates portraits out of them, combining my two interests. When I reached 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, he even surprised me with a Rubik’s cube mural of myself! This inspired me to learn how to create them too, and throughout the past few months, I’ve spent over 100 hours solving cubes and aligning them into portraits to show appreciation for people I love.
GABI GAROZZO ’25 HAVERHILL,
MA
This year, I wanted to play into the prompt of trying styles/mediums foreign to me. I decided to shift from solely realist paintings to a combination of abstractionism and realism in hopes of letting my creativity flow. While I was working, though, I felt as though I was playing it too safe. I decided to attempt ceramics. The ceramics I have created are meant to complement and resemble my paintings in a new format. The experience of trying 3D art in addition to my typical 2D art has been challenging but rewarding, and I’m excited to continue!
JULIAN IVARRA ’25
DALLAS, TX
“Kaizen” is a Japanese term that means “continuous improvement”. Last year, I made a table—inside of it was the internal workings of an inline-four internal combustion engine. In keeping with “kaizen,” I asked myself how I could improve this project. So, I decided to make a V-8 engine that lost the functionality of furniture, but more importantly gained a crankshaft with moving pistons, and therefore serves as a working model. The engine I present this year represents the basic engineering behind America’s engine of choice. My goal to improve upon last year’s project has led me to this testament of one of my greatest passions: automobiles.
NORA RYAN ’25 ABINGTON,
MA
As a poet, words and phrases are my paint and the way I compose and juxtapose them are the brush strokes that compose the finished original work. My identity as a poet is rooted in extended metaphors with supporting alliteration to make the words flow smoothly but also succinctly. When thinking about venturing into a new medium, turning poetry into prose felt like a natural extension of my artistic style. For my sophomore presentation, I will be exploring themes of familial and societal factors that derive a personal perception in the medium of writing a short story. My project is inspired by themes prevalent in the lives of many that I have just briefly touched upon in my poetry. In shifting my artwork to a longer forum, I hope to explore important metaphors and meanings in a more profound way.
Dining Room Drama Club (excerpt)
By Nora Ryan
My mother always said “The dinner table is practice for the real world” So we sure did have many and many of test runs The polished brown four-sided figure stage hosted dress rehearsals over roasted chicken The silverware spoon props placed beside us As the mahogany stage switches from scene to scene
One night, I am seated at Presidential Cabinet meeting My family of four discusses our respective duties On how to see our small nation create strives At the end of the cul de sac
Another night, I am at a support group A somber and sympathetic tone settles over I listen to my sister speak on high school hardships We chew quietly, allowing her to air out her frustrations Over fake friends and spreading falsities
Every night, the curtain closes. The scene dwindling down to its final sentences indicated by the unmasking of our plates’ floral design We place our props side by side in the dishwasher And go our separate ways to work our second jobs Tasked with Calculus problems or loads of laundry Yet no matter how busy or bustling my cast is, We return to our brown polished stage every night As our primary responsibility will always lie in supporting one another, no matter what life sets out in the script
LEAH PARAGANO ’26
MENDHAM, NJ
My passion for music stemmed from my extensive background in theater, a cappella, choir, and the arts. This year, I am exploring my talents as a solo artist. I have selected three songs to perform that represent me, my family, and ideologies that I support. Through this experience, I was able to connect to music on a deeper level and gain confidence performing by myself.
ILLIANA REDDING ’26 VENICE BEACH, CA
I started painting when I was 15, and immediately started with self portraiture as a means of introspective documentation. I took what I had learned about myself through my previous explorations in painting and applied it to a new subject. I intended to find a way to twist autobiographical conceptually over literal. My original plan was to ask several strangers if they wanted to go out for lunch with me, then make a playlist of their favorite songs, and ask to paint a portrait of them in an environment in which they felt comfortable in. The reality of this was much different, as I learned an abundant amount of information about myself and formed relationships with my subjects. I’m excited to present the finished collection of multi-disciplinary pieces along with the tale of my adventures at the Sorenson Spotlight this March.
BABSON
ARTS .ORG
Cover art by Gabi Garozzo ’25
