Fall 2007- Spring 2008 Davies Leader
“Design and Grants at Meadville Council on the Arts”
Meadville Council on the Arts
The Meadville Council on the Arts is a non-profit organization that serves to enhance and improve the opportunities to educate about art as well as serves as an outlet for local artists. Ashley worked hand-in-hand with the Executive Director, Nancy Manning, on advertisements, grant searching, and running programs offered through MCA. She also helped to oversee exhibits and gallery openings.
One aspect of the Davies program that attracted Ashley was the freedom and responsibility it allowed her to have in deciding where she would like to partner. The program really took her interests into consideration, which helped place her at the perfect site. Working at MCA allowed her to meet and interact with the community in a way that she had never done before. Some of the community members that she had the privilege of getting to know treated her like she was a part of the community (not some student!), which was an interesting change for her. The Davies program has allowed her to form a more personal relationship with Meadville. In addition, Ashley has always been interested in the inter-workings of a non-profit organization. Her career focus right now is also public relations, which is part of the hands-on experience she had at MCA.
Ashley is a sophomore at Allegheny with plans to graduate in 2010 with a degree in Communication Arts and minor in Values, Ethics, and Social Action (VESA). To help expand her studies, she is planning to spend her junior year abroad in Kenya, Africa.