Ringling College of Art and Design today announced the award of seven $2,500 Excellence in Experiential Learning Scholarships. The scholarships, given by donors Nancy Markle and The Koski Family Foundation, were awarded based upon the levels of professionalism, quality of work, and intensity of engagement exhibited throughout the students’ work on real-world client projects as part of the Ringling College Collaboratory Commitment.

The winners of the Excellence in Experiential Learning Scholarships are Ringling College students and graduates, by name, major, and year of graduation: Doug Alberts, Motion Design 2020; Ellie Winslow, Business of Art and Design (BOAD) 2021; Emily Fritz BOAD 2020; Katelan (Kitt) Thomas, Visual Studies 2021; Kyle Snider, Motion Design 2020; Sophie Schonbach, BOAD 2022; and Yekyung Kwon, Illustration 2020.

Professional designer and illustrator Sydney Prusso, who worked with Nancy Markle and Nancy’s granddaughter, Aaliya, to assess the entries stated that, “[she] was very impressed by the amount of work and professionalism that went into some projects. The work was detailed, organized, and comprehensive. I have no doubt they will excel in their chosen professional environments.”

Tom Koski of The Koski Family Foundation provided detailed feedback to each scholarship winner, lauding them for their excellent creative talent, their ability to overcome obstacles, and their capacity to engender teamwork in leveraging creativity to address business realities and deliver meaningful work on time. Some submissions exhibited startling insights, like Emily Fritz’s work in rebranding the hotdog. Another scholarship judge, Veronica Brady, also applauded Emily’s project, touting the “great storytelling and awareness-building in the project,” calling it the “best (Wurst) solution!”

The Excellence in Experiential Learning Scholarship is open to all students who have been engaged in courses, immersives, and competitions offered College-wide under the Ringling College Collaboratory Commitment, including the Collaboratory, Art Network, Design Center, Studio Labs, and certain academic department projects and internships. Deadline for application was April 10, 2020.

“When The Patterson Foundation President and CEO Debra Jacobs and I first started exploring in 2009 what was eventually to become the Collaboratory Commitment, our mutual hope was to create an experiential learning model to drive professional development and enhance career success for our students,” said Ringling College President Larry R. Thompson. “Creative confidence is forged in the crucible of deadlines, demands, and deliverables - the foundation of the Collaboratory Commitment. We thank and applaud Nancy Markle and The Koski Family Foundation for creating these scholarships to distinguish and reward truly outstanding student professional development and work.”

Through the generous support and partnership of The Patterson Foundation, the Collaboratory Commitment offers every student at Ringling College the opportunity to work on real-world client projects prior to graduation to develop their client management expertise, expand their portfolios, develop professional work habits, and ultimately produce tangible and valuable client deliverables. In short, the purpose is to solve the dilemma of the new college graduate: I can’t get a job because I don’t have experience, and I can’t get experience because I don’t have a job. To qualify for consideration for the scholarship, projects had to involve a real-world work experience with a company or client for which the student was paid or received course credit.

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