Miranda Rodriguez

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Programs	Creative Media
Class	2021
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Hometown	Oceanside, NY

Specializations

Visual Art, Creative Writing, and Filmmaking

Favorite Class

Darkroom Photography, Women in Art and Cinematography

How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

I’m really appreciative of the Upside-Down Curriculum because it got me right to work immediately. My first year, I was already in the darkroom, developing my own film and printing my own photos for class critique—I couldn’t have gotten that almost anywhere else. I got my hands dirty right away, and I think that’s only strengthened my practice.

How has your Champlain experience prepared you for your future career, both in and out of the classroom?

Champlain has helped me build my portfolio and a greater understanding of my brand as an artist and creator. Especially as you move further into the freelance market, building a brand is so important to your discoverability and what people reach out to you for. I think I’ve settled on something that’s not only true to me, but that is representative of the work I aim to focus on and calls out to the right people.

What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain for college?

To incoming students—I know change is scary, but I promise you that it’ll be okay. You’ll be nervous and make mistakes, maybe you’ll trip or say something wrong, but we’re all here to learn and grow and help each other do the same. Making mistakes is part of the gig. Don’t be afraid to take that leap, because even if something doesn’t work out, you’ll still learn about yourself and what makes you tick.