IN MY OWN WORDS Wayne State:
MUNERA KAAKOUCH Why did you choose to attend this college and select this major? When deciding on a college I had a hierarchical list of needs that Wayne State University (WSU) met, with grace. First, WSU has an incredibly vast study abroad program which I was looking forward to pursuing. I was also enthralled by the diversity of programs offered. Moreover, the university offers a plethora of private and public scholarships, of which I had the privilege of receiving the talent scholarship to pursue fine arts upon my acceptance to WSU. What did you hope to get out of the program, and did you achieve it? The experience I’ve had with Wayne state is unmatched. Upon starting the university I was excited to receive guidance as to how to pursue a study abroad program, where I was able to study abroad in France, participating in a medicinal chemistry program where I won the C’est Mons Tours Art Competition in 2019. I was also lucky to have so many counselors that were able to keep up with my career-path and degree changes. If anything, I have received ten-fold what I imagined I would get out of the program.
Did you have to prepare for this major in any way? If you didn't, do you wish you did? During my senior year of high school, I took AP studio art which helped me build a portfolio to submit to universities. This was the class that was truly the catalyst in deciding to go to art school. I will say that making the portfolio didn’t necessarily feel like preparation for college, despite the rigor of an AP class. As a matter of fact, the class felt very natural for me. I went on to paint murals on the walls of my high school that year, after which I began applying to colleges and receiving my talent scholarship offer from WSU. What was a typical day like? In all honesty, a typical day for me doesn’t really exist. I think that’s one of the beautiful things about being an artist. Some days I’m up early, creating my own paintings and completing assignments for classes, until an evening shift at work. Some days I’m working on commissions, both at home or at venues, or going to a new art exhibition in Detroit. Being an artist does put a lot of responsibility on a student to dedicate themselves to their craft and be able to keep up with an ever-changing schedule. I for one, find it so worth-while. What was the most memorable moment of your time at this college? I would normally say that my most memorable moment at Wayne State was going to study abroad in France but that memory is a close second! My most memorable moment was when I decided to drop my minor for my degree. I had previously been pre-med until my Junior year at WSU. It took me a very long time to build the confidence in myself to double down with the decision to pursue fine arts as a career. At Wayne State, the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is very tight knit, and I’m lucky to have had counselors like Avanti Herzeg and art professors like Mel Rosas to offer guidance through the hardest parts of ‘growing into my own shoes,’ so to speak.
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