Dialoguing across disciplines

Shaelee Comettant, Class of 2023

The summer before my senior year of high school, I participated in Portfolio Plus, a precollege art program offered by the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. For three weeks, I stepped into life as a WashU student—and I loved it. At WashU, I could seriously study art without sacrificing my varied academic interests.

Portrait photo of Shaelee Comettant

Although I considered other colleges closer to my home in Massachusetts, no place resonated quite like WashU. There was a palpable warmth and collaborative spirit among the students and faculty that felt special. In order to attend, however, I knew I would need financial assistance. Gaining admission to WashU was a dream, but earning a scholarship turned it into a reality.

Today, I am working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art and a bachelor’s degree in American culture studies, with a minor in Latin American studies. Pursuing dual degrees in the Sam Fox School and the College of Arts & Sciences is challenging, but incredible mentors in each area have helped me discover rich dialogues between my work in the studio and other art forms, histories, and cultures. And I have been able to do the same outside the classroom as a member of the experimental theater group Thyrsus, the Association of Latin American Students, and Leaders in Interpersonal Violence Education.

My scholarship represents more than a financial investment. It is a vote of confidence in my potential that has provided invaluable latitude to explore and develop my passions as an undergraduate. I have had a phenomenal experience at WashU.