Maj Jenkins Testimonial

I wanted to thank you and share with you the celebratory news that I graduated from the University of San Francisco Summa Cum Laude last week with a Bachelor of Arts in Design and a completed minor in Classical Studies. Without your support, I could not have made it here.

It has meant so much to me to be part of a critically-thinking, intellectual, and forward environment for the past four years. The people I have met and the experiences I have had while at USF have shaped me into a designer and artist ready to meet the world. During my education here, I have discovered interests both within and outside of the design world that I previously could not have fathomed. In my major field, I have found passions in new media art, design for social change, exhibition and installation design, and project management, and my minor field has opened me up to the worlds of literature, history, and anthropology. My life has not only been enriched with learning, but being around others who share my passions. My professors have become mentors and supporters as they have inspired and guided me. My peers have become friends and allies as we dealt with the demands of college. Furthermore, I feel like I have truly become part of the USF community and a valued member of my department. The environment has rewarded me with a positive and encouraging workspace. The class of Spring 2022 is the first to return to in-person graduation at USF. Additionally, my cohort in the design program is the first to return to having an in-person senior exhibition for our thesis projects. These are projects on specific, individually-chosen topics that design and fine arts students spend the semester researching, investigating, and creating around. We opened the show on Thursday, May 19th, and had a wonderful reception led by our professor Carrie Hott. Over 30 graduating seniors featured their work in the show, including myself. I have always considered the senior show a coming-of-age tradition of design majors at USF; as a freshman and sophomore I saw the seniors work tirelessly on their thesis projects, as a junior I saw the senior shows organized over online learning. It was an honor to be part of the tradition and participate in the exhibition with my cohort. The title we decided on for the show was “RECONNECTING...” as a common thread our projects embodied was the personal reconnection with oneself, one another, and one’s community in the time of returning to in-person learning and living. My thesis project, titled Nobody, is a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey that explores how patriarchal structures shape familial relationships and examines how storytelling can be used as a tool to close emotional distance between parents and children. For my project, I worked in multiple mediums — I created an illustrated book which I printed and handbound, I coded and illustrated an augmented reality component, and I designed and cut tables using the laser cutter from the engineering department at my university. It was a challenging and rewarding experience as my project required me to link multiple worlds of my own with one another; my personal interests from my life and familial experiences with my academic interests from the literary canon, my simplicity-focused design major with my complexity-focused classical studies minor, and my commitment to visual work as well as deep storytelling. It was a very detailed and thorough project with many components, and I’m pleased with how it turned out. In the next few weeks, I will have updated my portfolio website with photos and videos from the final exhibition. More information about my thesis can be found at https://majs.space/nobody.html. Some highlights from the semester include awards which I received. I was honored to be the recipient of not one, but two awards from my major department, the Department of Art + Architecture. The first award is for leadership and academic prowess within the program of Art + Architecture, working alongside my peers to do our best and consistently rise to meet challenges in design coursework. During my time at USF, I have explored many new mediums to develop a diverse body of work, leaning into new skill sets and technologies whenever possible. The second award is for my works embodying matters of social justice, which are currently on display in the Thacher Gallery in Gleeson Library on campus — “Tigerskin,” which is a piece of empowerment in response to anti-Asian hate crimes in San Francisco, and “Passport of the United Choirs of Angels,” which illustrates the challenges faced by migrants at the Southern United States border. I was also honored to be selected as a finalist for Valedictorian of the College of Arts and Sciences. After a rigorous interview process, there remained five finalists, of which one was selected Valedictorian. Although I was not selected as Valedictorian, the application and interview process gave me space to reflect on my time at the University and leadership within my graduating class. There was a breakfast and reception for the Dean’s Medal and Valedictorian finalists which I attended with those who sent in letters of recommendation on my behalf. I have been accepted to an internship at the Exploratorium, a science and educational museum known for its interactive and participatory exhibits. I am thrilled to begin work at the Exploratorium because within the last two years as I have considered my professional career on a deeper level, I have developed a strong interest in the museum industry, particularly interactive museums and learning spaces. I will be working in exhibition development and documentation — prototyping new installations and documenting past ones, which is the kind of design I have a strong interest in. I am also excited to be part of this institution because it was influential to my development when I was a child as a San Francisco local, and I would visit their old location at the Palace of Fine Arts with my parents and schools. A cultural landmark founded in 1969, the Exploratorium is a large part of San Francisco identity and I am proud to soon be a part of it. My internship begins on June 13th and I will be working part-time until August 19th. The part-time nature of the internship will allow me to seek other job opportunities and work on personal projects which have since been put on hold to prioritize my academics. Thank you for your support through the four years of my education at the University of San Francisco. My education and experiences here have truly allowed me to develop and discover new worlds and connections. I am looking forward to keeping in touch in the future. Sincerely, Maj Jenkins (Malia Jenkins)