Carleigh Ocon

This is a photo a photo of me during Spring Break 2021 where my roommates and I took a day out to have a picnic and a well deserved rest from a term full of research, hard work, and many long hours cooped up indoors.

Degree: BA Art History, minors in Art, Comparative Literature, and Interior Architecture

Expected Graduation Date: June 2023

2021-2022 Scholarship
Gloria Tovar Lee Scholarship in Art History

I Am Originally From Parker, CO

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon partially for the geography and partially for the unique resources of the College of Design. I was originally drawn to the nationally ranked Interior Architecture program and then was greatly inspired by the Art History faculty and just had to be a part of it.

I started out my first two and a half years of undergrad pursuing a degree in Interior Architecture. I had always been a passionate art history minor, but I soon realized it was more than a passionate “side project” in my academics. I fell in love with art history and all that the subject had to offer in the job market of curation, teaching, and art conservation. Art history has my heart and I feel at home in art historical research, whereas I felt a little lost in interior design.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I grew up in a mixed race family with parents who both worked in healthcare. I moved around a lot as my father’s career evolved and that experience of moving around the country allowed me to see how different parts of the country react to race, people, history, and art. I spent four years living in El Paso, TX and watched in awe as art defined an entire community to make a big city feel like a small town. I was enamored. That art analysis was ingrained in my identity and I brought that with me to Colorado, where I graduated from high school. Comparing the Denver Art Museum with the murals of El Paso completely opened my eyes to the variation in art and historical representation. That contrast in experiences defined me.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
James Harper, Professor of Art History, has been an inspiration to me. It was while taking his class on Caravaggio that I realized I needed to pursue a career in art history. Professor Harper’s passion for Italian Baroque art and sheer breadth of knowledge is incredible, and he brings so much excitement and enthusiasm to the field that is incomparable to other professors. Through his teaching, I was able to achieve incite on the expanse of the art historical profession and gain an excitement in the field that could not be matched in any other subject.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I am the undergraduate co-chair of the Art History Student Association (AHSA) and have just been nominated as the new Outreach Coordinator for the Affiliated Students of Undergraduate Research Experience (ASURE). My experiences with AHSA have allowed me to interact with grad students studying art history and has given me first hand experience in presenting research and coordinating events within the art historical discipline. Those experiences are invaluable and I plan to continue my role in the club as long as I can.  I have recently become interested in ASURE, due to my participation in the Undergraduate Research Symposium. As an organization, ASURE helps students find research opportunities and my personal passion for research drove me to fall in love with ASURE’s mission. The organization is largely run by students involved in STEM programs and I am excited to represent the Humanities in order to help fellow students reach their dreams in research positions and pursuits in academia.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
Honestly, my greatest learning experience has been changin my major so late in my academic journey. Many people advise against changing your major during your junior year but I did it anyway and have never felt so excited about my academics. I had spent a great deal learning about the workings of the interior design profession and getting to understand design principles and the future of architecture, but I had ongoing questions about history, historical preservation, and the complexities of anthropology based on religion and art. Art history was the field that could answer all of my questions and support the knowledge I had already received in the Interior Architecture program.

AFTER GRADUATION
My hope and dream is to acquire my PhD in Art History and then pursue a career in academia in art research, historical activism, and eventually teaching in a university setting. I would also love to spend a chapter of my life working in museum curation in order to have first hand experience handling a collection and conveying art historal interpretations at an institutional level.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship means the world to me. The award itself truly validates my work and goals. It can be difficult juggling club positions, school, and personal research while still working on saving money for stable living. This scholarship truly helps to support my lofty ambitions.

Thank you for your generous contribution to my education. This scholarship means the world to me and will help support my aspirations as I transition to graduate school and then the art historical field. I am so passionate about my work and my research so this scholarship is a true honor and gift. I have so much gratitude for you. Thank you so very much for your support.