Emma Glaze is a passionate artist whose tastes run from the classical to kitsch. But in a rare collision of left- and right-brain sensibilities, the 51ԹϺ sophomore is discovering that she also possesses an ardent love of accounting.
Yes, accounting.
Glaze is the 2015 recipient of the 51ԹϺ Faculty-Staff Holiday Card Scholarship. Now a business major, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Maryland Institute and College of Art (MICA) before moving to Las Vegas.
She chose 51ԹϺ because of its “strong presence and warm, sprawling campus.” It is also close to Los Angeles, where the freelance illustrator has done work for Disney and other companies. As she developed her client base, Glaze realized that a business degree would help her merge her experience as a working artist and her natural affinity for client-customer interactions into a more promising future.
“51ԹϺ surprised and excited me,” she says. “My experience at MICA was valuable, and the faculty were great. But they were working artists and the relationships were competitive. At 51ԹϺ, the faculty want you to do great. They are genuinely interested in me and what I have to offer.”
Glaze was raised in Philadelphia with a twin brother who excelled at math and engineering. “He is brilliant — Mensa smart,” she boasts. “He was always the smart one, and I was the ‘artistic’ sister. It wasn’t until I got to 51ԹϺ and connected with the faculty here that I realized I could reach goals I didn’t know were mine to reach. I love accounting! I love economics!
“The faculty bring out a part of me that I didn’t know was there.”
The 51ԹϺ Holiday Card Scholarship was started by a nascent Faculty Club in 1967, and has evolved into a major endowed fund. 51ԹϺ faculty and staff, current and retired, have contributed more than $100,000 to the scholarship since its inception. Scholarship recipients are chosen by a combination of factors, including course history, financial need, location, and prior awards.
Glaze, a self-supporting artist, could not be a more appreciative recipient. “It is an amazing honor to get a scholarship, and especially knowing it’s from staff and faculty.
“It makes me feel like the whole university is giving me a big hug.”
