Today, I took the leap and hit "Submit" on my application to an incredible graduate program — the Erasmus Mundus International Master in Children’s Literature, Media, and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE). This has been a long time in the making, and I thought, why not share my journey and application process here, too?

Since graduating from college, I’ve considered a range of options for graduate school…

MBA? Law school? I think I’d have been competent at both but I could never convince myself to commit to the debt or career path associated with the degrees.
Art History? I didn’t want to specialize, and as much as I want to work with museums, I don’t think getting a PhD and becoming a curator is the right path for me.
Education? I love teaching, but I haven’t wanted it to be the sole focus of my professional experience.
Creative Writing (Non-Fiction)? Maybe, but it never felt like quite the right fit.
Acting? Well, I did apply (and audition!) for Juilliard back in 2015 because why not? But obviously, I didn’t get in. And then I went on Remote Year, which was a completely different path but amazing & I’m grateful to be exactly where I am today.

So I’ve kept the idea of grad school on the back burner, revisiting it every so often but never quite finding a program I wanted to commit to. Until now.

In January, I stumbled across the CLMCE program website and immediately saved it. I didn’t know that collaborative programs between schools existed like this, or that there might be such interdisciplinary opportunities available at this level.

I learned that the Fall 2024 CLMCE class was full, but I think perhaps the timing worked in my favor as I was able to pursue my creative sabbatical art classes this summer (and spend more time in Glasgow) and then commit to a year of art school in France.

The Program

Children’s Literature, Media & Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE)

The International Master in Children’s Literature, Media and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE) is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme. It is a 24 month full-time programme with three mandatory mobility periods and the option to attend one of our optional summer schools.

CLMCE addresses the relationship between children’s and young adult’s texts and media, and how this relationship is interpreted, understood and responded to within different educational, social and cultural frameworks. This is especially important now and in the future, as texts and media have an impact not only on cognitive development but also on social inclusion and cohesion as well as on industry expansion.

Children’s and young adult (YA) literature and media has become a global business (that includes toys, video-games, apps and other development of technology), tightly interwoven with a broad range of cultural activities, and reaching readers through a variety of new channels. In the light of new technologies, innovative analytical models are required for both studying these texts and for identifying the literacy skills needed to make sense of them. At the same time, texts and media are reflecting greater linguistic and cultural diversity. Therefore, we need a new ‘repertoire’ of literacy and cultural skills, such as language awareness, intercultural communication and visual understanding, to deal with these emerging text and media types.

The holistic study of children’s literature, childhood culture and media can provide the platform for examining the evolution of texts and developing these new repertoires of skills. The integration of theoretical and empirical approaches throughout the programme will allow graduates to create innovative strategies for promoting reading, improving literary competence and incorporating media and digital technology in learning and teaching. The communication and cooperation skills developed in CLMCE, together with the understanding of the global, as well as the local contexts, will allow students to move towards positions of leadership in institutions and organizations that seek to shape education and in particular, the development of specific literacies (print, media, digital) that are relevant to 21st century children and young adults.

What is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters?

“Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are prestigious international masters, jointly designed and delivered by a group of higher education institutions. They involve at least 3 institutions from at least 3 different countries, and multiple associated partners from the academic and non-academic world. Typically, they include periods of study, research, traineeship, thesis preparation and defence.”
Erasmus+ is managed by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

CLMCE Program Structure

One of the things that appealed to me about this program was that it’s a collaboration between several institutions in different countries. Of course, I love traveling and living in different places, so the opportunity to do that through an academic experience is really exciting, but I also think it adds so many layers of contextual richness to study in 3+ places for one cohesive program.

Year 1 - Semester 1 at the University of Glasgow: Historical and Critical Perspectives
Year 1 - Semester 2 at Aarhus University (Denmark): Children's Literature
Optional non-credit bearing summer school at either the University of British Columbia or Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz & Goethe Universität Frankfurt-am-Main
Year 2 - Semester 3
- Study Track A - Nantes University (France)
- Study Track B - Tilburg University (Netherlands)
- Study Track C - University of Wrocław
Year 2 - Semester 2 - Dissertation

My Application

The application consisted of the usual elements: personal information, education & work history, documents, references, and a personal statement — which could be up to 1200 words and should address the following issues:

You should outline your motivation for choosing the CLMCE programme (i.e., how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).
Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years.
Briefly indicate what you see as being the topic of your year 2 dissertation (this can change later).
You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other socially sensitive or political activity; as well as any prizes/awards received even if these activities are not specially connected to the area of children’s literature.

My Personal Statement

My journey has been shaped by a lifelong curiosity fostered during my early education at an Applied Learning school, where I learned to think critically and explore through hands-on activities. This foundation ignited a passion for creative and accessible learning that I have developed throughout my education & career.

The Erasmus Mundus International Master in Children’s Literature, Media, and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE) uniquely aligns with my varied interests and experiences in education, cultural institutions, storytelling, and media. Through this incredible programme, I would hone both theoretical skills & practical applications to be a leader in literacy, learning, and communications with an intercultural approach that integrates analog, digital, traditional, and innovative methods to achieve increased access & engagement.

Motivation

The CLMCE programme offers a unique opportunity to bring together my diverse professional experiences and personal interests in a way that few (if any) other programs could. The interdisciplinary approach aligns with my background in art, marketing, and education and would facilitate my aspirations to innovate in educational storytelling by combining creative content with impactful social narratives.

I have explored these fields through various roles, including teaching Winter Study courses at Williams College, serving on the board of the National Juneteenth Museum, and working in marketing for a nonprofit organization. My personal and professional approach to life is essentially the “jack of all trades, master of none,” which allows me to experience & leverage a broad range of multidisciplinary references & versatile skills.

The CLMCE focus on integrating multiliteracies and critical inquiry, coupled with opportunities for placements in cultural institutions, presents an ideal pathway for me to develop my skills further and enhance a career dedicated to innovative educational storytelling.

Why I Am an Ideal Candidate

I bring a unique combination of academic, artistic, and professional experiences that make me well-suited for the CLMCE programme. My undergraduate studies in Art History at Williams College laid a strong foundation in visual culture, critical analysis, and the role of art in society. I switched majors from Math after seeing the benefit of how ArtH expanded my ability to assess & understand the things humans make, providing me with crucial tools for formal analysis, a broad foundation of historical trends, and a more conscious awareness of what we see (or don’t), are shown (or aren’t), and create.

After graduation, my first job was teaching math at an American school in Casablanca, Morocco, followed by a summer in Switzerland, and then a year teaching 8th grade English at an American school in Sofia, Bulgaria. I then chose to return to the United States to gain commercial work experience, starting with wind energy market research, then production for experiential design, and then freelancing in project management & content marketing — for entrepreneurs, small businesses, agencies, and nonprofits.

More recently, I have developed my own creative practice, from watercolor & gouache sketches to acrylic paintings to writing and illustrating two books: An Alphabet of Fun Facts (a self-driven initiative that I funded via Kickstarter during the pandemic and published as a hardcover book) and A Travel Alphabet (created during a weeklong Fiction & Picture Book Illustration course at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) this summer, where I combined collage, ink, and typography to explore travel-related themes).

Currently, I am enrolled in a one-year "Entertainment Preparatory Class" at ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) in Lyon, France, to improve my drawing and visual storytelling skills. I chose this program — designed to prepare students for 2D & 3D animation — to refine my artistic practice and build a deeper understanding of visual communication as a creator. I am eager to pair these skills with those learned through CLMCE so I am able to comprehensively conceptualize & create engaging media for children (and all ages).

My work with the National Juneteenth Museum further underscores my commitment to cultural representation and social justice. As the Content & Exhibitions Committee Chair, I collaborate with the board, advisors, staff, and our design firm, Local Projects, to shape the museum's narrative and exhibitions from the ground up. This role has deepened my understanding of exhibition design and how to prioritize inclusive narratives, aligning with CLMCE goals of promoting intercultural communication and leveraging literature and media for social impact.

Dissertation Topic (Preliminary)

For my dissertation, I would explore the role of multimedia and experiential design for cultural institutions and digital platforms.

With ever-evolving technology, there’s an ongoing demand to utilize digital resources and define best practices for how they enhance learning and engagement. I also believe in integrating analog approaches (books, zines, and other tactile formats) to create a holistic and inclusive educational experience. (We humans delight in the tangible, a value that will only continue in our increasingly online & virtual realities.)

I intend to investigate how combining traditional and digital methods can make information more accessible and appealing to diverse audiences, especially (or starting with) children.

While studying in Nantes during the 3rd semester, I would evaluate my past work in marketing & with cultural institutions through a new lens and learn how to better benefit cultural institutions, projects, publishers, libraries, and children worldwide.

Relevant Activities and Achievements

In the past five years, I have actively engaged with educational & cultural initiatives. I twice taught my Winter Study course at Williams College, From Museums to Marketing: Curation in Context, where I introduced students to the construction of communication through branding, curated visuals, and content & copy. At the National Juneteenth Museum, we recently completed the Concept phase of exhibition design — defining the visual style and overarching stories & goals of the gallery spaces.

I have taken art courses at renowned institutions, including The Center for Cartoon Studies, The Glasgow School of Art, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which have allowed me to expand my practice and skills in drawing, painting, illustration, graphic storytelling, printmaking, and visual design.

I have dedicated my adult life to living & traveling across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas (to 55 countries thus far), and I’ve studied, worked, and lived in Italy, Morocco, Bulgaria, Mexico, and France. My access to the world, enriched by my pursuit of learning about local art, culture, language, and history, has shaped my perspective on cultural diversity and global storytelling. My approach is informed by multicultural perspectives and priorities, which I believe is essential for understanding and creating content that resonates across different cultural contexts.

These experiences have fueled my desire to foster empathy, understanding, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Personal Reflection and Future Goals

In a world that is often overwhelming and, frankly, depressing, I find curiosity & education to be a light in the dark — for myself, and for spreading hope & opportunity to others.

My passion for learning, reading, traveling, and visiting cultural institutions is fulfilling & empowering, but not everyone has the same access to the quality education and positive cultural experiences that I have enjoyed. I am committed to challenging gatekeeping practices and finding innovative ways to make literacy, learning, and cultural engagement accessible to all.

The CLMCE programme will allow me to deepen my understanding of these issues and work toward real-world solutions that bridge gaps in literacy, education, and cultural representation. With the skills and knowledge I gain through CLMCE, I aspire to become a leader in creating educational content that is engaging, inclusive, dynamic, and transformative.

My References

I am so extremely honored by the support of my references. They both had significant impacts on me when we first met 10-15 years ago, changing the way I saw the world and also myself. So to have their explicit endorsement of me… it really renders me a bit speechless. I am so, so grateful.

My academic reference was Prof. Carol Ockman, who I had twice as a student at Williams — first for ArtH 102 Painting my sophomore year and then for Manet to Matisse my senior spring.

As I told her very honestly in my email requesting the reference, her teaching played a foundational role in my understanding of art and feminism. In addition to her work on impressionism and nude, portraiture, and stereotypes, Prof. Ockman has also done work about Barbie and Sarah Bernhardt.

Here is a video of her in action, giving a lecture about Impressionism to alums at a reunion in 2013 (and a pretty good insight into my class experience as an Art History major at Williams!). Watching it took me back to when I first learned about Impressionism through ArtH lectures, opening up my brain to art & the world in new ways.

My professional reference was Keetra Dean Dixon. We met back in 2013 when I worked in production at HUSH Studios in Brooklyn and Keetra was a freelance Creative Director.

She was (is!) the coolest, and was one of several women I met while working at HUSH who showed me that you could be an amazing artist & professional AND a really nice person AND also an adult woman without kids. It opened up a new life pathway for me to dream about and explore, and I’m really grateful for that exposure because it gave me the confidence to trust the inklings of ideas I was starting to have about my future.

Keetra and I became friends, and I visited her in Alaska in 2014 after I left NYC and began traveling, and we’ve kept in touch over the years with zoom video sessions and walk & talk phone calls. We talk about our work, our creative projects & practices, and our lives. Every time we speak, it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment because she’s still my idol.

And voila! I submitted my application today. I’m incredibly excited (and a little nervous), but regardless of the outcome, I feel immensely grateful for this opportunity and for everyone who’s supported me along the way. Here’s hoping I’ll have some wonderful news to share soon!

Grad School App Submitted!