For Brooke Mulqueen of Montgomery, N.Y., a Visual Communication – Graphic Design major at Mount Saint Mary College, the last four years have been filled with a variety of new opportunities.
This past year alone, Mulqueen has been interning as an art assistant with local artist Liz Nielsen, an opportunity that came through the connections of Mount professors Chris Neyen, associate professor of Art and Graphic Design and Chair of the Division of Communication, Art, and Digital Media (CADM); and Stephen Mallon, adjunct instructor of Fine Arts.
While she mainly assists Nielsen in creating her art, some days Mulqueen will also travel with her to install art galleries, photograph her pieces, or help portfolio and store the art in her studio. She also assists at the Elijah Wheat Showroom, located on the Newburgh Waterfront and owned by Nielsen and her spouse, Carolina Wheat.
“My experience with Nielsen has been absolutely wonderful,” Mulqueen explained. “She feels like a mentor to me, and I am so appreciative to have made this connection with her.”
Although only joining CADM in her junior year, Mulqueen has thrived as a Graphic Design major. Not only has she frequented the college’s Dean’s List, but she’s also gotten involved with several on-campus offerings, including taking part in Knight Radio, the college’s radio station. She also participated in Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh’s contest to design the official t-shirt for their Walk for Housing event. Mulqueen’s design was the runner-up.
Most recently, Mulqueen’s greatest accomplishment was her involvement in the Mount’s CMA Gallery spring exhibition, the Visual Communication Graphic Design Senior Show, featuring works by Mount students. She and four other classmates showcased the culmination of their academic journey, featuring their final projects in design, branding, digital media, and more.
Mulqueen noted that this success would not have been possible without Neyen, who also serves as the CMA Gallery Coordinator.
“He has made me an incredibly better designer than I was when I started, and he is the best person at the Mount to have prepared me for the future,” she said. “Professor Neyen has made going to the Mount feel like a fit for me when I had my doubts in what I really wanted to do, and I know my family and I are super thankful!”
For Mulqueen, this success is also attributed to the efforts of her father, John Mulqueen, a maintenance worker at the Mount. She expressed her deep gratitude for her father’s dedication to working at the college, allowing her and her sister to attend.
Though her experiences have allowed her to thrive in her college career, Mulqueen noted that the thing she will miss the most are the people who helped shape her time at the Mount.
She added, “I will miss working in the lab with my classmates and being able to use the resources it provided. I will miss the professors that have made the experience here worthwhile as well as the familiar security guard faces that are on campus.”