Melisa Sanyer is a 2014 graduate of University of Virginia. She majored in Art History and Drama. She held internships with The Coca-Cola Company, Second Street Gallery, Ash Lawn Opera and Freeman`s Auctioneers. She is interested in how arts could solve political and diplomatic issues and problems among different countries. She is also interested in pursuing a career at an auction house or a corporate collection with a focus in art handling and curating.

What attracted you to the Arts Administration Program at Teachers College, Columbia University? Being in New York City and a great institution, Arts Administration Program at TC was a great fit for me. In addition to its strong academics, being in a city that is full of arts institutions would give me the opportunity to educate myself both inside and outside classroom. That is how I decided to be a part of Arts Administration Program.

How are your studies helping to advance your career goals? Learning extensive businesses skills are helping me to be a successful manager and at the same time, the elective classes that I am taking are encouraging me to challenge myself.

Describe student life as a member of the ARAD community. Everyday, I challenge myself and learn something different. Through my elective classes, I got the opportunity to learn about different fields. In addition, through discussions that I engage with my classmates, I had the opportunity to learn from their experiences too, which I found to be very beneficial. Student life as a member of the ARAD community is very enjoyable.