Gabriella de la Rosa


Senior, art history

Art history student Gabriella de la Rosa had the time of her life last summer. Working as an intern for the Art Institute of Chicago, de la Rosa was treated to an insider's view of the world she hopes to join one day as a
professional.

During the internship, de la Rosa experienced the thrill of handling the original artwork of such artists as Rembrandt, Matisse, Picasso, and Delacroix. She was also responsible for conducting extensive research for a catalog on French decorative painting that will accom-pany an exhibition the Art Institute will mount three years from now.

"That was probably the high point of my whole undergraduate experience," says de la Rosa. "I learned about things I always took for granted before. I had no idea it can take up to five years to pull together some exhibits. You see a painting on the wall and never think about what it took to get it there and what happens to it when it comes down."

Even as a student at her Los Angeles high school, de la Rosa was interested in art history. When the time came to select a university, she chose UCSC because of its uniquely interdisciplinary program. "What I love about art history is that it brings together all these interests I have in art, history, and cultural studies. UCSC's program is very cutting edge in that way."

Never short on initiative, de la Rosa decided in her freshman year to add intensive work in French to her other studies. In the spring quarter of that year she went to Nîmes, France, as part of the Language Program's study abroad program. In her sophomore year, she lived in Cowell College's Maison Francophone, where residents converse exclusively in French.

De la Rosa speaks with lingering amazement about her experience learning French at UCSC. "I acquired a language in one year. The teachers in the Language Program are so dedicated and inspiring."

Along with her hefty aca-demic load, de la Rosa shoulders her financial responsibilities. She is funding most of her education through student loans and work study, tutoring fellow students in writing and French. She was able to participate in the Art Institute internship because of grants she received this past year from the Humanities Division and the Art History Department.

"For every debt I incur, another door opens," says de la Rosa, whose academic choices reflect a keen mix of pragmatism and adventurousness. As she prepares for graduate school and a career in teaching or curating, the resourceful de la Rosa is likely to find many more doors opening along her path.

--Barbara McKenna


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