This week, JustArts sat down with Steph Cohen '13, a Fine Arts student who has recently received a Fulbright award for her artistic accomplishments.

JustArts: Congratulations on receiving a Fulbright award! How did you become introduced to and involved in the Fulbright program?
Steph Cohen: I had heard about it my freshman year, I want to say. I went to one of those teacher-student talkbacks in the Rose Art Museum-I'm part of the Fine Arts department-and so I just heard from a bunch of professors, and they spoke, and one of the programs mentioned was the Fulbright. I kind of kept it in the back of my head for the past few years and I never really looked into it or pursued it until the start of the past summer.
JA: Would you tell us a bit about your plans for the next year involving your Fulbright grant?
SC: I am moving to Spain in September, and I just found out last week that I'll be going to Madrid and I'll be working at a secondary school, and I haven't found out yet exactly what I'm doing. It's an English teaching assistantship, so it's geared towards Spanish-speaking students who are interested in learning English. But it's taught through a series of different courses, so each student gets placed in a different subject, depending on their background. So I haven't found out where I'll be yet, but I hope it will be in the arts.
JA: So is this an extension of what you've been doing at Brandeis, or will it be something new for you?
SC: At Brandeis, I'm an Art History major and a Theater major, and my focus has been on scenic design specifically. When I was in high school, I taught an after-school class, then when I came to Brandeis I started TA-ing, so I have been teaching or assistant teaching. It's something that interests me, and that, combined with my interest in the arts, I wanted to do something where I can pursue both of them.
JA: Do you hope that your coming work in Spain will provide a transition into a similar career?
SC: I guess I feel like it's an opportunity to figure out what I want to do. I've done a lot of work in Theater and this is something that's a little bit different for me. Because, each summer, I've worked at various summer stocks, painting usually and designing, so this is something that's art-related, but in a different way, so I'm curious to see how it plays out and if it's something that I want to pursue. I'm really excited.
JA: How would you say your programs of study at Brandeis have influenced your career objectives at this point?
SC: Well, when I came to Brandeis, I had never done theater before, and I've always been interested in painting, and art in general, so I knew that I wanted to be an Art History student or an Art History major. So I got involved in my first week here, with the 24-Hour Musical, and I helped paint for that, and fell in love with it, and kept getting more involved, until somehow it turned into my major. I was specifically interested in scenic design and scenic painting. They used to have track programs in the Theater department, where you could be a Theater major, but then be a scenic design student. But they dropped that, and I was interested in scenic design specifically, so I worked with some of the professors in the departments to create a specific curriculum. Through that, I got a lot more exposure to the design process and the design side of theater and became really interested in it.
JA: What was your favorite production you designed for?
SC: The last show I did was my senior thesis In The Heart of America, and that was up in the Brandeis Theater Company, and that was an incredible experience because it was an opportunity to have the most professional design experience for me at Brandeis. It was a really interesting way to see how the process works in the professional world, and how you have to go through all the steps of drafting, and the continuous meetings, and working for months on this design, and to see it come together was really exciting. And just the support of the department was really great. I feel like I had the opportunity there to create a piece of work that I was really proud of.
JA: What do you think you will miss the most about Brandeis after commencement?
SC: I guess just the environment that is created on campus. I feel like it's very inclusive and relaxed and welcoming, and it's created a really positive experience for me, where I feel like I've been able to succeed because of the people who I've been surrounded by-both professors and friends.
JA: What advice would you give to current Brandeisians who are hoping to make careers in the arts?
SC: If you're interested in something, you have to go after it. You can't just wait for it to come to you. There is a lot of skepticism about going into the arts. But if you're willing to really stand by it and do everything you can to become as educated on your interests as possible, it's possible to succeed.

-Rachel Hughes