Leah Dorman ’24 always had a love of animation and character design, so the Hartford Art School was a natural fit. As she prepares to graduate with a major in illustration, Dorman feels that community support and resources, plus her own determination, have led her on a path to success.
“UHart helped me pursue my dream in working in the illustration and animation industries, providing me with wonderful resources and professors who all strove to bring their students to success,” Dorman says.
One of those resources has been access to internships that gave her real-world experience, including a HAS Creative Career Connection (C3) internship. This highly competitive program, made possible by the generosity of Hartford Art School Endowment, Inc. donors, gives undergraduate students access to valuable experience that might not otherwise be affordable to them. Dorman also interned at Baboon Animation, a story development and screenwriting company.
Dorman says her courses gave her a taste of what it would be like to work with real clients. In her illustration classes, she found that her skills grew by leaps and bounds thanks to the support of classmates and faculty. She says HAS Faculty members Brian Lutz and Bill Thomson had a great impact on her success. “Brian has worked closely in simulating a true client-illustrator relationship, preparing us for the industry with firsthand experience. Bill has given us incredibly useful constructive criticism with our pieces, always managing to find another thing that could make them shine even brighter.”
In addition to the support of her professors, one of Dorman’s favorite things about UHart is its communal feel. She says her classmates’ determination motivates and inspires her. She says one of her favorite memories is one of the senior BFA show openings, Exo*Sketch.
After graduation, Dorman plans to continue at UHart to work on her graduate degree in communication. When asked what advice she has for incoming students, her excitement and optimism is evident: “Good luck and keep pushing!”
Leah Dorman '24, Hartford Art SchoolUHart helped me pursue my dream in working in the illustration and animation industries, providing me with wonderful resources and professors who all strove to bring their students to success.