Ashley Brown

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I was first drawn to the beauty and serene nature of the campus. I knew I wanted to go somewhere with small class sizes, which ended up being my favorite thing about Lewis & Clark. You are able to truly collaborate and challenge each other, which coupled with the diversity on campus, ends up raising important questions. I enjoyed how close I was able to get with my professors and feel that I could rely on them when I needed to.

What have you been doing since graduation?

Having graduated at the height of lockdown I was forced to take some down time and reassess what I wanted my path to be. I started working in production in February of 2021, I have now been living in Los Angeles for over a year pursuing a career in film and television.

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for your job?

I had not considered a career in my current field until my senior year at Lewis & Clark. Through my minor, rhetoric and media studies, I was able to get a peek into production and realize that I wanted to participate in telling stories for a living.

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

Critical thinking, both professionally and personally.

Why did you major in studio art?

I was originally planning on majoring in rhetoric and media studies, I took a photography class my first semester thinking it would be a fun elective. I ended up falling in love with photography and the art department at Lewis & Clark and ultimately changing my major. I am so happy that I did because of the amazing professors and working professionals that Lewis & Clark is lucky to have!

Why did you minor in rhetoric and media studies?

Even though I had changed my major I was still interested in rhetoric and media studies so I decided to keep it as my minor. I was then able to focus on the Media Studies side that I was most interested in.

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

The most influential class that I took would have to be Photography 101 with Joel W. Fisher. He made me challenge the way that I looked at the world and begin to form my own visual language. Which has stuck with me even when I am not actively capturing images.

Where did you find your community on campus?

I found my community while on my study abroad program. Due to the small nature of the program we all bonded and some of my closest lifelong friends I met while in Dublin. I cannot recommend studying abroad more! Depending on your major you can even attempt to go abroad twice.

Who was your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

I would consider multiple professors to be lasting mentors for me. Joel W. Fisher, Dru Donavan, Jess Perlitz, Bryan Sebok. Even though I don’t keep in close contact with them, their voices still have an influence on me now.

If you studied overseas while at Lewis & Clark, how did you choose your program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience?

I chose Dublin because Ireland was a place that I had always wanted to spend time. In a selfish way I was also never very confident in learning languages, so going to an English speaking country made it less challenging of a transition. My study abroad experience is invaluable to me. I forged new friendships, fell in love with a new city, and learned how to live on my own outside of my comfort zone.

Studio Art Rhetoric and Media