Emilee Fann saw herself living a life in the arts but wasn’t quite sure what form that would take until she got to UNCG:

“I’d heard that UNCG had a great Theatre Education program, so I transferred here and that’s where I started. From that point, it was a matter of trial and error to find my exact place in the arts. I tried a lot of different things. I worked backstage. I did costuming and props. I took some acting classes.”

She was talking with another student about all the things she loved to do, and he pointed her in the direction of Arts Administration:

“The Arts Administration program has a huge variety of class offerings. Because it’s a program with such a wide range, everyone is required to have a minor. And this is where it gets really interesting. You have people who are minoring in the arts, but there are also people who are minoring in areas from across the University, so you get this great, big perspective outside of your own.The whole program is like an open conversation, and it opens doors to learning so many things.”

Fann says it was that 30,000 feet view of the arts with the ability to personalize her experience that made Arts Administration the right degree track for her:  

“The faculty and staff and curriculum give you such a wide array of choices with the opportunity to narrow it down as you go along. Let’s be honest—no one knows exactly what they want to do with the rest of their life when they are eighteen. I definitely didn’t. It creates this environment where you can figure that out and, not to be cliche, really find yourself.”

Fann says that attention to students starts at the top:

“I can’t rave about Arts Administration Director Hannah Grannemann enough. Not only does she teach a class about various career paths, she also takes the time to help create internship opportunities and to talk one-on-one with the students about their life’s path.”

Arts Administration students take classes beyond the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The curriculum includes communication, entrepreneurship, and other business classes, and Fann says her experience outside of arts classes has been good:

“UNCG was such a good fit for me. It’s kind of low-key. It’s exciting but not as frenetic as some places. It’s like a small, big school. The professors care so much about their students not just while we’re in their classes but they care about our futures. Here, I really feel like I’m a part of something.”

Fann shares her biggest lesson learned with future Spartans:

“Slow down. I’ve been told that by many of my professors. I have to remind myself I am only twenty-two. I don’t have to have it all planned out right now.”

After graduation, Fann says she’s taking a breath. But it’s a very short one. After spending the holidays with family, Fann jumps back in at UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics in January to pursue an MBA with a concentration in Marketing. Her end goal is to be a Director of Marketing at a theater or performing arts center:

“There is something about being at a performance and looking at the audience and having that realization that wow I helped to bring them here. Maybe it’s because they saw an ad on television or a poster while getting a haircut. I just love the idea of playing a part in opening up an art experience to someone.”

Story and photos by Terri W. Relos