Isabel Sosa Whitelaw

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I fell in love with the beautiful campus on a college tour and I was intrigued by the overseas programs and the impressive faculty in the arts department.

What have you been doing since graduation?

I have held arts administration positions at various arts institutions in San Francisco and New Orleans. For the past year I have been working on independent movies in New Orleans, Louisiana as a Boom Operator.

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for your job?

My Rhetoric and Media Studies professors, specifically Kundai Chirindo, Mitch Reyes, and Heather Hayes prepared me to enact my agency as a citizen. This skill has led me to an engaged participant in local political discourses, arts institutions, and the New Orleans film community. My experience in Rhetoric and Media also
taught me to approach all social and professional relationships with a critical lens, and to appreciate the nuances and intersectional nature of being a
community member.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at Lewis & Clark?

The most important thing I learned at Lewis & Clark is that plurality matters. Whenever I am invited into a conversation, I always ask myself: who is being
represented in this discursive space, who is being left out? Furthermore, I ask myself: How can we do better? How can we embrace and amplify the voices of
marginalized communities? At Lewis & Clark, I learned to communicate with my fellow human beings with integrity, while freely expressing myself.

Why did you major in Rhetoric and Media Studies?

I majored in Rhetoric and Media Studies because I took an introductory class with Mitch Reyes and was blown away by the command he had over the room. I thought to myself, “I want to be able to speak like that.”

If applicable, why did you minor in Art History and Studio Art?

I minored in Art History and Studio Art because I am fascinated by the effect that art has on myself and others. I love the feeling of exploring a body of work and
feeling represented. When I work in galleries and museums, I find great joy in having conversations with patrons where I can elucidate the ways in which
artworks relate to them and the communities they come from.

How do you stay connected to Lewis & Clark as an alum?

I stay connected to Lewis & Clark by instilling the philosophies I learned there in my everyday life. I also read the newsletters and mailing material from time to
time!

Rhetoric and Media Studies Studio Art Art History