James Francies, Jazz '17
"Being at The New School has made me more aware of why I do something, musically and as a person. Being able to collaborate gives you so many options to develop your artistry."
Anna Del Savio
"Since coming to The New School, I've become a lot more independent, and I've definitely become a lot more driven."
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"I diagnosed myself with creativity when I was 5. Coming to The New School gave me the confidence to leave school knowing that I could be my own boss."
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"I'm trying to make things that really matter, that speak to things I care about. One of the biggest lessons I've learned at Parsons is to create things with intent."
Anne
"By being at Parsons and talking to professors and students, I realized that the ideas that I had aren't actually as crazy as I thought. The benefit of having Parsons as part of The New School is that it brings a lens of social justice to the classroom, and to the work that students engage in."
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"Only at The New School could I combine my love for social justice, my passion for book making and humor all into one project that I can hopefully put out into the world and spark dialogue, and maybe affect change."
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"I've had this un-traditional approach to almost everything that I've done. The New School is a place to explore who you are, why you are, and what you want to be."
New Paths, The New School’s New Ad Campaign, Highlights Inspiring Students
Melissa de la Cruz, Milano ’18, applied to The New School thinking that she would learn about international affairs, which would complement her experience working in government. In true New School fashion, her education has exposed her to classes and subjects that aren’t traditionally part of the study of international affairs, such as data visualization and urban studies. Cruz has taken a wide-ranging educational journey at The New School, which has transformed her career goals and helped her develop a new vision for what she hopes to accomplish in her field.
The New School’s new advertising campaign, New Paths, showcases the transformation of exemplary New Schoolers in short, intimate videos that explore student journeys such as Cruz’s. Featuring students reading excerpts from their admissions essays and discussing how their work has evolved since they embarked on the unique educational paths offered at The New School, the videos are simultaneously informative, passionate, and entertaining.
“I never anticipated transforming into an avid environmentalist, a social entrepreneur, and an advocate for change through design, but could not be happier with the path I took at Parsons,” says Kendall Warson, Fashion Design ’17. “The students emanate the spirit of the New School, and their testimonials help communicate what The New School is all about.”
“The videos show the authenticity of students telling their own, very personal stories of how The New School has shaped their academic journey,” says Anne Adriance, chief marketing officer at The New School. “Our hope is that anyone watching these videos comes away with the idea that The New School is a place that frees students from conventional academic boundaries and inspires students to chart their own distinctive and engaging paths.”
The campaign features a group of 17 disciplined and creative students from across the university, including a BA/BFA student studying Integrated Design and Theater at Parsons and Eugene Lang College, an aspiring singer/actress from Mannes School of Music, and an economist/activist studying at The New School for Social Research. By highlighting how the students’ goals and dreams have been transformed thanks to their education, the videos underscore the types of options and freedoms students have at The New School that they wouldn’t receive anywhere else.
Partnering with the New York Times and Teen Vogue allowed the campaign to reach new audiences in new ways, with each media outlet creating original multimedia content in partnership with The New School, as well as exclusive interviews with the featured students that went beyond the stories from the videos.
By focusing on the unique evolution of New School students, the campaign is sure to create interest in the unprecedented pathways available at The New School. For Richard Kessler, executive dean of the College of Performing Arts and dean of Mannes, the central component of the campaign is what makes it so effective and interesting.
“Throughout the College of Performing Arts and across The New School, we are consistently inspired by our students’ bold and beautiful vision for their future, which are so often rooted in interdisciplinary and collaborative work that seeks truth and change. The new campaign is a swell way to throw a light on who are students are and how they grow as people through their education at The New School.”