I titled my Senior Thesis Believe and I still have the wall plaque with my name and title. I think it's great that Ramapo College has several Art Galleries and that they give students the opportunity to feel what its like to have a public art viewing and art gallery event. My thesis statement I will add later. I wanted to do more and was told the incorrect wall space. I would have went much bigger like 30x30 but it is what it is. Acrylic art is very expensive but it's absolutely beautiful. I wanted to do multimedia not just photography so that is a future goal that I have. I have so many creative ideas and not sure where to or how to get many ideas out into the world. The art industry is unregulated to an extent so anything is possible and there is no limits to what an artist can achieve. Grit, willpower, determination, and the passion to succeed are almost engraved into over achievers. But, it's okay to rest and relax and know that if one person has better day because of your art that it's enough.
I want to say there are some good people at this college and that I won a scholarship by writing an essay in 3 hours. I was told go home write something and I am very proud that I won. We didn't have a ceremony as Covid-19 shutdown the school. So, I never met my sponsors but for the first time somebody cared to help me financially at Ramapo. It was so hard to deal with toxic players though I am still recovering. But, I want to say on a good note that the yearbook included my photography including this gallery image. Which made me feel better they didn't say it was mine but they allowed me to submit a senior photo. My cashmere sweater with one shoulder tie was kind of almost not accepted as they require formal wear. So, for that I will always be grateful that they accepted my own photography I had missed the photoshoot. The same thing happened with my youngest son and my oldest son unexpectedly the school's accepted the portraits that I had taken! For me it's about the little things like this that truly matter in community. Ramapo yearbook did an amazing job with the design of the yearbook and so I can look back and have good memories with that. I hope to open my graduation cap and gown and do a photoshoot to make up for not going to graduation and not documenting that moment in time. I listened to the Dean speak and he spoke about a time period and said a quote and so I was still a part of the graduation remotely. I would like to find that transcript or video to post here. So, Believe was a significantly important art gallery event for my ending of a college career. I made it. Against all odds I made it and I might go for my Master's degree later in life. If I ever become a teacher I know how not to behave and will always lead in love, light, and integrity to bring out the greatest potential for all students. We are all in this together and our region needs to better improve community care for all it's citizens and people.
Featured in the Ramapo College yearbook Class of 2021.
The yearbook image is really clear proof images are never that good. Featured in the Suffern graduation 8th grade yearbook class of 2021.
Featured for the Class of 2021 Remote graduation for Boces Carpentry II.
Featured in the Ramapo College Yearbook Class of 2021.
Featured in the Ramapo College Yearbook Class of 2021.
Featured in the Ramapo College Yearbook January Class of 2021.
There are more images on here.
BELIEVE The Monarch butterfly a way to freedom & healing with solitude of safety. This beautiful species is currently endangered. Uncertainty surrounds of the future of this species. Song lyrics from Graveyard by Halsey, “Oh, it’s funny how The warning signs can feel like the butterflies.” I traveled into the mountains in Michoacán Mexico to the biosphere overwinter location of the Monarch butterfly. The sense of navigation, the intuition, survival instinct as the butterflies take flight is incredible. February is a very active month for the butterflies as the mating dancing begins they swirl together. An anonymous quote, “ You’ll never see butterflies socializing with caterpillars. Even the species of nature understand the concept of disassociation after development. Some people are so focused on fitting in that they’re failing to fly. “ Photography is my medium of choice as it’s the perfect way to capture a moment in time forever. I used the Fujifilm GFX 100 Medium format camera with a 110 mm lens. The butterfly to me is beauty and a symbol of survival. I use the Fuji capture one software to get the best image quality for my prints. My biggest challenge was carrying this camera around with 2 lens and another camera. This was my senior thesis statement which was edited. Everyone went on a trip to New York City I didn’t feel invited so wasn’t comfortable going. Everyone gathered at the Professors home for breakfast and I was tired from traveling. There is a YouTube video about the show and the trip. Here is the YouTube link. https://youtu.be/hszOvYzVcBs I did have one good conversation with the Professor in charge of the Senior Thesis. It was the day that I lost my diamond earring on campus. Campus security refused to give me the statement so I could submit to my insurance company as the earring was insured. I showed him my back up plans if something went wrong during my trip if everything went wrong I showed him enough work to substitute the work I had not created yet. This was the only time I had a good interaction with him and I don’t know why attitudes changed out of no where? I was excited to do part documentary work and travel. I wanted to do huge installation 30 x 40 as the gallery walls are high in the first room. I wanted to do holograms of butterflies, 2 mini sculptures in resin with scientific specimens of the Monarchs, and I wanted to hand out milkweed seeds to promote change. I also had an audio idea of a scannable QR code of sounds you would hear at the Monarch biosphere. Everything I wanted was shot down and I was told No that I couldn’t do anything but photography. I tried to find the gallery guy one day and talked to a man inside the gallery. He gave me the blueprint of the gallery as I inquired about wall space and sizes. I take photography printing seriously and it is a lot of planning and money. He emailed me and was angry he felt that I went over his head and said imagine if every student did this! I didn’t see what was the big deal about talking with the art director it was my first time meeting him. I thought he was the other gallery guy but it caused drama for no reason at all. So, I was forced to go small and what happened was nothing that I had planned. I felt I was constantly yelled at and put on the spot about things that did not exist from that point on. It wasn’t about me but it really took out the fun and enjoyment of my artwork and the entire experience. Things were emailed and said that just weren’t reality. I always came through and the last day on campus gave all my work to the classmate in charge. My last reply to this Professor was professional and nice he never responded back. My artist statement was edited and the quote was said to be negative. I couldn’t cover up the disappointment with being censored without permission like this. It was part of my work and my senior thesis show. I want to write about this to gain my own personal closure. I didn’t learn about it until I saw a copy of the book. This is one of America’s top liberal college and I was treated like a number. When we were all remote there was discussion about how New York spread covid to New Jersey. I felt so out of place and weird as the college is on a border of New York and New Jersey. Everyone was blaming New Yorker’s as the reason why covid was in New Jersey. It was so toxic I developed stomach pains and just had a hard time accepting what I was listening to that day. I was an out of state student but had a transfer deal agreement between colleges. Always check you tuition bill as I had issues where Ramapo did not follow the agreement and attempted to charge me full tuition. This type of issue was ongoing and the worse was when I paid student loans and tuition September of 2019. I almost had to quit due to the financial pressures and I am a single Mom. It was very difficult to navigate Ramapo college they are use to rich people and no questions I had to fight like hell to make it out of there. When the pandemic hit they increased my tuition to pay for the hand sanitizers placed on campus before it shutdown. I protested this and was a success. But I had to pay for parking as a commuter even though campus was closed for classes. The college had a sick professor who came back overseas and he passed the covid infection disease to a student. The college had meetings a week before shutdown about shutdown which placed us all at risk. They had confirmed covid cases on campus. I was forced to go to an event within a large room with over 100 people I was so mad about this. I was so worried about catching covid I felt this was so wrong at the time. Then when I mentioned it to law enforcement they questioned me about health department stuff as if I was a criminal. As if I am that stupid to even mention any of this or meet with law enforcement if I was legally quarantined. People can be charged and arrested for breaking covid protocols. There were huge mask debates and so I was always responsible and did what was right for others by wearing a mask until the mandates were dropped winter of 2022. Despite everything I will always be a part of the class of 2021 senior thesis Here, Now. If I didn’t Apply for a Scholarship for 2020 I would never had made it through. I was awarded and accepted after writing an essay I had a 5 hour notice. It was so intense working that day it was not planned and so creative. So, this was just one time where I actually felt supported at Ramapo College. I plan to make a podcast of my awarded essay. I can always work under pressure and succeed. I have always valued my education overcoming all odds. I never had much support with my goals and dreams of becoming a college graduate. I also felt supported with the yearbook they allowed me to submit a senior photo and more images. They reached out to make sure I would be okay if they did not use a photo. I feel they were decent towards me as a student. The business department was all decent woman as individuals. There were a few people I met along the way with random encounters and conversations that were decent human beings. I feel because there was prior conflict of an unstable faculty that the rest of them who gave me a difficult time decided to bully me in any way they would. These are weak minded adults who targeted me as a student as a single Mom. They started to use age discrimination to make me feel unwelcome as a student. I am a beautiful woman who has aged gracefully and could blend in with my class. I think people thought I was young and could take advantage of me? The judgements and toxic behaviors are so dangerous to all students from all walks of life. This will be a podcast episode subject of trauma, betrayal, and female toxicity. I don’t believe in targeting innocent woman because the truth made them look bad. When I was going through a corrupt divorce the last judge said to me you cannot fire your lawyer. Because if you do we all look bad. She is another person in power who took advantage of my catch 22 situation and legally abused me. I believe she thought I was young, poor, and uneducated so she took advantage of her power and legally abused me. Why don’t people behave better if they are so worried about the truth and looking bad? The days of toxic shaming and adult bullying are over. I will expose all truth and nothing but the truth. People are in need of God’s help and they truly don’t love themselves. I want to write more about the positive things at Ramapo College but first I have to discuss the honest truth about facts. At what point do we draw the line? I forgot to mention that the best course that was outside my major was that I took was Law, Power, and Inequality. The best course that I audited was Professional Format Photography. I dropped that semester after being harassed so I never received credit for that course.
Looking back I don't have any or harbor anything toxic towards anything, anyone, or any experience. I was taught self resilience to a higher level and to learn and grow from unexpected situations is a gift. Looking back I can laugh at some responses and reactions and I am really happy that I learned a lot about people, higher learning, how to make it through, and how to remain strong. Behind every graduate is a community cheering for success for achievement, advancement, and life long happiness. Sometimes you don't see the silent one's rooting for your success but they are there for you. Never give up on yourself or your dreams. Always stay true to yourself and understand that you will have moments where you will be laughing one moment, scream the next moment, and then wondering how you made it through all those years. It's a privilege to graduate from college and education is a stepping stone to a way out into the real working class of society. You have to be willing to work hard and spend many nights studying and getting through those midterms and finals. Now about that first salary... written 9/19/2022
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I am a Mom, a friend, a visual artist, & entrepreneur. https://msha.ke/wenpurelife
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