Laura Zuspan

Student

“Mario Semere is my favorite teacher because he’s such a funny guy. And his lectures are electric: Everybody’s awake in those classes.”

I’m just in my second semester at SMC, so I feel like I’ve still got a lot to learn about the place,” said Laura Zuspan. “I’ve been through a lot of changes. I mean, this is the first year I’m not living with my parents—and that’s a big leap. But I haven’t had any real problems yet, except maybe with the money thing,” she says with a laugh. “I have to work a lot to pay for college, but a lot of people here are in that same situation. It’s tough to balance it all out,” adds Laura. “But you’ve just got to set your priorities and just do it.”

It’s the world of Fine Arts that Laura plans to make her mark in as a painter. “Making an actual living in that field? I don’t know about that. But I just love painting, and I really feel it’s the best thing I can do with my life. And so far,” she adds, “everything’s been going really well for me. I mean, I chose SMC because the Art Department is very strong here, and I’ve had some amazing teachers, like Mario Semere. But I also like the diversity at SMC. You’re always encountering some new kinds of culture and ethnicity here.”

If all goes according to plan, Laura will soon be shipping out for the East Coast. “It’s always been a dream of mine to study painting in an art school back there,” she says. “And after I’m finished with SMC, I feel I’ll be ready for it. We’ve got a lot of dedicated teachers here,” she says. “And it helps a lot to be studying along with all these motivated people.”

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