Simone is a second-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Raised in North Carolina, she attended Florida A&M then went on to graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BA in Studio Arts. Studying a variety of mediums, Simone mainly concentrates on acrylic and watercolor painting. Simone moved to New York City soon after graduation where she was able to gain invaluable knowledge through a variety of jobs and opportunities in the art world. Through this work, she discovered her interest in arts administration, which is what lead her to pursue her master’s degree at American University. 

Growing up in Northern Virginia, Maria Maldonado has been a professional noise maker since age 2, when her mom handed her her first tamborine. Her love of all things noisy and musical continues to be a large part of Maria’s life as she just graduated with a Vocal Performance degree at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA. As Maria starts her Master's in Arts Management at American University in Washington, D.C. , she has taken on a new type of noise making: arts advocacy and leadership. Maria aspires to become a prominent leader within the arts, bringing engaging performances and programs to her community. 

Austin T. Farrow is a  first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, Austin is an arts leader who is determined to impact the entertainment industry globally through Pan-African and LGBTQ+ stories, narratives, and conversations. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a concentration in Acting from Howard University as well as acting certificates from the British American Drama Academy in London, England. Austin is currently a graduate Fellow for the American University Museum at Katzen working in the museum’s social media and marketing department, as well as the Strategic Enrollment Assistant for CAS Graduate Enrollment at AU. Austin is thrilled to join the EALS committee and he looks forward to creating engaging content and programming during these ever-changing times. A scholar of William Shakespeare and August Wilson, Austin is making sure he leaves no stone unturned on his journey to create awe-inspiring, rule-breaking, thought-provoking art.

Matt is a first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Raised in Philadelphia, he received his B.A. in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from Oberlin College. After graduating, he worked as a Call Center Assistant at the Barnes Foundation, which sparked his passion for arts management. He has also interned for the Philadelphia Film Society and Japan Society of New York. Currently, Matt works as the Jazz Orchestra and Workshop Manager at American University’s department of performing arts. When he has time to spare, he can be caught practicing guitar or watching a film. 

Danielle is a first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Born and raised in Morristown, NJ, she completed her B.A. in International Relations with an Art History minor at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. Danielle spent much of the past year working as a development intern at a variety of museums, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, The Newark Museum of Art, and the Massachusetts Museum of Art (MASS MoCA). Now, she interns on the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Council at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and represents the Department of Performing Arts as a Senator on the Graduate Student Council of the College of Arts & Sciences at American University. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys sipping a nice cup of tea.

Kaitlyn is a second-year Arts Management Master's candidate at American University. Her interest in arts organizations stems from a lifelong love of dance and an urge to kick-ball-change she just can't seem to shake.  After completing her bachelor's degree in English with a writing concentration/minor in Journalism from Gonzaga University, Kaitlyn moved back to her hometown to begin her nonprofit career as an intern with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She has since worked for multiple dance studios and is currently serving as a Graduate Fellow in the American University Dance Program, as well as a Studio Assistant at Joy of Motion Dance Center. She hopes that her time at AU will help her to hone these experiences and use them to best serve the dance community that has always served her so well. In her free time, you can find Kaitlyn taking a drop-in dance class, investing in too many scented candles, and dying her hair to match pretty backdrops.

Katherine Berman is a first year graduate student at American University in the Arts Management program. She began her dance training at age 4 at the European School of Performing Arts in Daytona Beach, FL. She pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida studying modern dance. During her senior year, she interned with the School of Theatre and Dance marketing coordinator, Amanda Clark, to conduct research in audience development strategies while at USF. The findings are now set in place as new standards for the department. It was here that Berman discovered the world of arts management and found a second passion. She is currently working with Erica Bondarev Rapach in a fellowship conducting research in community engagement.

Sarah is a first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Raised in the D.C. area, she holds a BA in History and Studio Art (with a focus in sculpture) from Hamilton College. She found her way to arts administration through work experiences at the Brooklyn Public Library system and Gallagher & Associates, a museum design firm. Sarah is currently serving as the Arts in Education Fellow at the National PTA. Pre-pandemic, in her spare time, you would most likely find Sarah exploring new places and working through her vast museum bucket list. 

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Jake is a second-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Before coming to AU, Jake was a professional actor, director, and teaching artist in and around New York City for nearly a decade. His career as an actor took him to 48 states, multiple countries, Walt Disney World, and a cruise ship before switching gears to arts management. More recently, Jake worked as a teaching artist for multiple arts education companies in New York including Wingspan Arts, Broadway Bound Kids, and Inside Broadway. He is currently serving as the graduate fellow for the new Artistic Director Initiative in collaboration with Arena Stage, where he is helping to create a program that supports the next generation of regional theatre artistic directors.  Jake is also currently a proud member of the stage actors’ union, Actors Equity Association. 

Cristina Lopez is a first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, Cristina received her undergraduate degree in General Music from Loyola University New Orleans. She is currently employed as a property manager. Previously, she worked for Disney World. Cristina has received numerous awards for delinquency management, property management, and raising awareness for public transportation. You can find her at your nearest symphony or being a substitute soloist at a local church near you!

AnaMarie is a first-year Arts Management Master’s candidate at American University. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre from the University of Notre Dame and immediately began a career in costume technology. Originally an Iowan, she has since made her home in San Diego and Monterey, CA, Norfolk, VA, and Washington, D.C. Her career working alongside talented designers, performers, and fellow costume technicians from The Old Globe to the Washington National Opera has been incredibly fulfilling and she plans to continue that work. AnaMarie looks forward to taking the next step into management through her time at AU and to continuing to find new and better ways to make art happen.