The valedictorian of the Class of 2024, Jyy Rose Liang was a standout student from the beginning of her studies at Fitchburg State in the fall of 2020, when the COVID pandemic had completely disrupted the college experience. She enrolled in the university’s Honors Program where she excelled academically in a challenging curriculum.
“The first half of my studies here was attached to a test of resilience for everyone,” Liang recalled in her valedictory address. “We spoke through microphones and masks, but we discovered much, built community, and became acquainted with new people and settings despite that. Amid these past four years, off and on campus, I have met and worked with too many people to recall. But, I am forever glad that the best of them have made it impossible to forget their boldness, regard, and brilliance.”
Liang met, then exceeded, all of the Honors Program course requirements, ultimately completing twice the necessary credits to graduate this Spring as an Honors Scholar.
“Some classes were about problem-solving, but I also got to learn about health and wellness, environmental science, and I got to study more Spanish,” Liang recalled. “I also took art appreciation, which got me into doing more in art, and then led to my studio art minor.
Liang’s talent in the art studio led to work that was selected for inclusion in the university’s annual juried exhibition, ARTeries. She also presented at the Undergraduate Conference for Research and Creative Practice in April.
As an educational studies major, Liang looks forward to teaching in less formal settings than traditional schools, working with populations of all ages. “I like learning environments, and learning in general,” she said.
She employed those skills in her final semester during an internship at the Fitchburg Art Museum, where she taught in its afterschool program, created reference materials for training guides, assisted in gallery installations, and assisted in outreach for its art appreciation programs.
“My days at the museum brought refreshing interactions with strangers and a bond with staff,” Liang said in her valedictory address. “The job helped me make a better return to my research in sculpture, and it is easily one of my smartest moves."