McQuaid Jesuit Fine Arts Notable Alumni

Graduation Year
2001

Undergraduate School
Carnegie Mellon University

Undergraduate Major
Drama – Directing option

Graduate School
N/A

Graduate Major
N/A

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Art, Music

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Mercy-McQuaid Players

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
Arts & theatre at McQuaid and within the Rochester community set me on the path to choose to pursue working in theatre as a career!

What is your current occupation or career?
Theatre Director, Playwright, Teacher & Producer

What is your dream job or career?
Theatre Director, Playwright, Teacher & Producer

Current city of residence
New York City

Graduation Year
2008

Undergraduate School
NYU – Tisch School of the Arts

Undergraduate Major
Drama

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
Courses like Independent Voice and AP Music Theory gave me a lot to work on that wasn’t as specifically tied to a curriculum RESULT. While of course there were technical skills I was being asked to develop, creativity was equally as encouraged and a deep ingredient in unlocking the material. There is no right way to sing a note or write a song – but there are tools that help. Merging the concrete skills with abstract artistic work is my daily career and life practice. It keeps me innovative and holistic in my approach to the craft.

What is your current occupation or career?
Vocalist and Composer Off-Broadway, Internationally, and in the American Theatre.

What is your dream job or career?
All of the above, with the goal to spread socially-focused, engaging theatre and music to many, many diverse audiences and communities worldwide.

Current city of residence:
New York City

Graduation Year
2008

Undergraduate School
Pepperdine University

Undergraduate Major
Theatre Arts (Acting Emphasis)

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Theatre

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
“My Fair Lady” (2006), “Little Shop of Horrors” (2007), “The Fantastics” (2007), “Grease” (2008)

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
It was a game-changer. Getting involved with that community eventually affected my entire life’s direction to pursue a career in performing

What is your current occupation or career?
Administrative Assistant in Fine Arts at Pepperdine University/Independent Singer-Songwriter/Actor

What is your dream job or career?
Actor/Writer/Singer/Director

Current city of residence
Calabasas, CA

Graduation Year
2008

Undergraduate School
Le Moyne College

Undergraduate Major
Theatre Arts & Integral Honors

Graduate School
Syracuse University

Graduate Major
Arts Leadership

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Drama, Theatre Tech, Theatre History, Acting Seminar

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Theatre

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
The diverse and holistic opportunities granted to me at McQuaid in the Theatre Program built the foundation for my future. The McQuaid Fine Arts department exposed me to directing, acting, design, tech, and leadership. These experiences were not only essential to my college work, but also taught  me the skills of collaboration, teamwork, and communication; skills that have provided me a competitive advantage in my professional career.

What is your current occupation or career?
Theatre & Venue Management

What is your dream job or career?
Executive Director for an Entertainment Venue

Current city of residence
San Antonio, Texas

Graduation Year
2011

Undergraduate School
Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam

Undergraduate Major
Music Education

Graduate School
Academy of Art University

Graduate Major
Sound Design in Visual Media

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Percussion Ensemble, AP Music Theory

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Jazz Ensemble, Coffee House

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
Participating in the Fine Arts programs directed me toward a fulfilling and eclectic profession, and introduced me to students with whom I still hold strong friendships and professional relationships.

What is your current occupation or career?
Freelance Musician and Sound Engineer, Teaching Assistant and Music Teacher

What is your dream job or career?
Freelance Musician and Studio Engineer

Current city of residence:
Rochester, NY

Graduation Year
2011

Undergraduate School
Northeastern University

Undergraduate Major
Music Industry

Graduate School
Boston College – Carroll School of Management

Graduate Major
Finance

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
All theory courses available (at the time), AP Music, Chorale/Accompaniment, Drama

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Stage Crew, Concert Band, piano lessons

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
It definitely prepared me for my undergraduate course work, allowed me to test out of (skip) multiple levels of theory classes and gave me a very solid knowledge base in performance, composition, and other topics. Working on Stage Crew taught me the fundamentals of live sound, recording techniques, etc., things I applied throughout my coursework and career. Participating in Chorale helped improved my skills and confidence as a performer and exposed me to a different style of music than I would have played on my own.

What is your current occupation or career?
Financial Analyst (formerly an Operations Manager/Tech at a recording/rehearsal studio)

What is your dream job or career?
Business manager for musicians and other performers

Current city of residence
Boston, MA

Graduation Year
2012

Undergraduate School
Ithaca College

Undergraduate Major
Television-Radio

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Acting Seminar, Theatre Tech, History Through Film, Religion Through Film

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
McQuaid Theatre, The Lance

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
Attending a high school (and middle school) that not only supported but actively encouraged participation in the Arts was one of the greatest blessings I’ve received, and one that continues to pay dividends. The breadth of the courses and extracurriculars offered at McQuaid gave me a comprehensive understanding of media and, more importantly, how to be critical of it. Classes like History Through Film taught me new perspectives through which to view art, and my extracurricular activities  gave me a vehicle to express those concepts. Simply stated, the value McQuaid places on creativity prepared me for working in the Television industry, and it’s something I’m extremely grateful for.

What is your current occupation or career?
Associate Producer/Editor at NBC Cable Entertainment

Current city of residence
New York City

Graduation Year
2012

Undergraduate School
University of Maryland

Undergraduate Major
Jazz Percussion

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
Percussion Ensemble, Band, Chorale

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Jazz Band, Jazz Ensemble

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
It gave me a great platform to begin my work into becoming a professional player.

What is your current occupation or career?
Musician, studio engineer, live engineer, landscaping

What is your dream job or career?
Anything to be working in music, full time

Current city of residence
Rochester, NY

Graduation Year
2015

Undergraduate School
Alfred University

Undergraduate Major
Graphic Design

Fine Arts courses taken at McQuaid
2-D design, 3-D design, Intro to Photoshop, Expanded Media, Advanced Art & Portfolio

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Stage Crew and set design for musical production of “Oliver”

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
It gave me introductory knowledge to topics that I was interested in and provided insight into furthering skills and interest in Expanded Media

What is your current occupation or career?
Paid Graphic Design intern at Alfred University Career Development Center

What is your dream job or career?
Graphic Designer and Photographer for record label or series of bands

Current city of residence
Rush, NY

Graduation Year
2015

Undergraduate School
Rochester Institute of Technology

Undergraduate Major
Advertising Photographic Illustration

Fine Arts Courses taken at McQuaid
Painting, Advanced Art and Portfolio, Drawing, 3D Design

Fine Arts activities involved in at McQuaid
Stage Crew

How did participating in the Fine Arts at McQuaid affect your life?
The Fine Arts Program helped me find direction in what I wanted to do with my career and life. Stage Crew truly helped shape me into the man I am today.

What is your current occupation or career?
Freelance Filmmaker / Photographer

What is your dream job or career?
CEO of my own production company.

Current City of residence
Rochester, NY