Haley Chiles

I was familiar with Oxford because of local family. When my cousin showed me the campus one day, I could envision myself being a student. It was just an inner-knowing that this is where I was meant to go.

I had originally majored in Film Production my first year because I knew I really loved working with cameras. Photography was something I remained passionate about so I decided to change my major to art my second year. The Art B.F.A. program allows me to explore my photography with an emphasis in Imaging Arts.

I would say that being an Art major is a lot of fun, but it also requires a lot of effort and time. Many projects require you to work outside class hours, so time management is important. However, it's really rewarding and if you're passionate about art, it doesn't really feel like work.

The Art Department at UM offers a great sense of community. The professors genuinely care about their students' success, well-being, and growth as an artist. Smaller classes give the opportunity to participate more as well as build connections with other students. There are a lot of great people here and opportunities to learn from visiting artists.

My professor and adviser, Brooke White. She has given me a lot of feedback in regards to my work as well as guidance towards my future goals. I feel that I have a good sense of my artistic strengths/weaknesses, but also how to learn beyond those with more confidence.

My plan after graduation is to get my M.F.A. in photography. I am really interested in portraiture and fine art photography, in particular. My hope is that with an M.F.A., I can work my way up to finding a photography job that offers me financial security and creative freedom.

There is a lot! My top three would probably be the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Machu Picchu in Peru, and a road trip along the Pacific Coast.