Alumni

Where are they now?

ArtistYear alumni are actors, educators, arts administrators, composers-in-residence, touring dancers, medical students, PhD candidates, orchestral musicians, photographers, freelance designers, soloists, teaching artists, and installation artists.

Manuela Romero, ArtistYear '19

Manuela is a full-time music teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. She also performs and tours with her band, the Kahlo Quartet.

Zain Sandhu, ArtistYear '22 and '23

Zain served two years in the Borough of queens. He is currently enrolled in law school at Georgetown University.

Vincent Wong, ArtistYear '22 and '23

After completing their second service term with ArtistYear, Vince began working at the Center on Colfax in Denver.

Alumni Highlight: Alina Patrick and Ameeya Singh, ArtistYear '22

From Service Year to Collaboration

Alina Patrick and Ameeya Singh credit their service with ArtistYear for the start of ongoing artistic collaborations. They met while serving at Village Academy in the Borough of Queens during the 2021-2022 school year and quickly began to find creative ways to intersect their two art forms for students. Alina – a visual artist with a background in photography – acquired large format cyanotype paper to create dynamic murals of Ameeya’s dance club students.

When the year came to a close, Alina and Ameeya continued to work together and support each other on multiple projects. “ArtistYear is how I met one of the most important collaborators I have ever worked with!” Alina shares. “If it weren’t for ArtistYear I would not have crossed paths with Ameeya who has had such an immense impact on me as a collaborator and a friend.” Most recently, the artists held a co-residency at Little by Little in Brooklyn which culminated in a final multimedia dance and poetry performance.

ArtistYear Alumni - Let's Connect!

Complete the ArtistYear Alumni Survey to update us on your career and artistry, sign up for the Alumni Newsletter, and to find opportunities to connect with the ArtistYear community.

ArtistYear Alumni Survey

“During my service year, I was able to teach dance and movement to students, bring forth a different from of kinesthetic learning, combine disciplines, and dive into cultures, through dance and visual arts. It was a year full of not only teaching but also constant learning, whether that be the newest dance moves or challenges, or about how to better my teaching. Every day was a joy with new experiences and I'm extremely grateful to have been part of this program and school!”

“ArtistYear opened my eyes to the world of teaching artistry and its possibilities as a sustainable career. After my service year, I know that I want to continue working with children in the arts field. I have grown in my confidence when teaching, my comfortability leading a class, and my abilities to connect with new students.”

“For many of my students this was their first exposure to the arts. It warmed my heart to see my students take risks, and develop their sense of self-worth and confidence--From the glow on their faces when they discovered they could tackle what they had thought was impossible, to them realizing they now have a new, positive outlet to express their emotions and feelings. I hope that through arts education and instruction I have transformed the way my students see themselves and the world.”

“One of the biggest takeaways for me from my service year was connecting with so many wonderful artists. It was very powerful to be in community. Collaborating with the Denver cohort was very huge in shaping myself in my professional and personal journey.”

“ArtistYear gave me leadership opportunities to recruit and train fellow artists, as well as the tools and confidence to create large school projects. Much of the knowledge and skills gained from ArtistYear have been directly transferable. Although I joined a few years post-bachelors, the experience grounded my teaching artistry, and I made lifelong connections.”

Impact Spotlight: Aqil Rogers, ArtistYear '18

A Maker Space for Executive Functioning:

ArtistYear Alum, Aqil Rogers, is a metalsmith and product designer who graduated from Drexel University and served at Mastery Charter Harrty Upper School in West Philadelphia.

Aqil collaborated closely with the school’s executive functioning teacher to add creativity, art, and design thinking into the course. This class is for students who struggle to fully integrate into school culture and who need additional tools and support to self-regulate their emotions and behaviors. Through Aqil’s background as a metalsmith and product designer, students found a new way to engage in learning. While the Harrity community managed a particularly difficult semester after the arrest of a trusted staff member, Aqil’s students designed and created “light boxes” to remind themselves and others that they still hold the power to create beauty and hope for their school.