Sam Park

Explain Your Career Path

Art, art, art, write, write, write.

What was your major at SEMO and how would you characterize the quality of that program to prospective students?

Art. Small and scattered art campus but that was the fun.

Why did you choose to attend SEMO?

I'm from Malden. It was close. And its small town feel was great!

Who influenced you most during your time at SEMO?

Professor Chamberlain, Professor Shoemborn and Doctor Choffey.

Share your best college memory.

I drew the cover for the student newspaper for a homecoming and I did cartoons in the issues, too. 

If you were in Greek Life, the Honors Program or any other student organization, please tell us about that experience and how it impacted you.

Sigma Chi. I developed close friends that have lasted until this day.
Student government. I had a private dinner with the members and Alex Haley before he came to speak to a live audience. There are some pics of me in the hall with Haley at the podium in the SEMO annual. Haley was terrific, genuine and telling truths. I'm so glad SEMO had him in to lecture.

What is the most important thing you learned while you were at SEMO?

Adjust and compensate and move forward. Each class and teacher was different and so is life and jobs and bosses. Deal with it. Art was not for copying others but being an individual and true to yourself.

Describe SEMO in three words.

Fun. Hard. Young.

What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?

Work every day on your art. Write. Paint. Draw. Study your craft to be better. Every day. Show up in the studio. Don't wait for inspiration. Just start working on the art. Do the work! Inspiration will follow. And you'll feel so much more satisfied seeing what you've accomplished than not.