2021 A&S Recent Alumni Award Winner
Mary Fama, BFA-Graphic Design '12

What does this award mean to you? 
This award makes me very reflectful of the career I've had since graduating eight years ago. It's been a fast and wonderful journey, filled with learning experiences and challenges, and this award makes me feel incredibly grateful to the family, friends and mentors who have helped me every step of the way. 

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far? 
Becoming an Art Director! I recognize that this level is highly sought after and rarer to reach at such a young age, so I am really lucky that my bosses and colleagues saw it in me to promote me to this level. 

Please share a memory of Arts and Science or your department. 
Spring semester of my senior year A&S finally offered a course in calligraphy, something I'd been wanting to take for years! I loved every minute of it, even squeezing into the smallest corner of the basement classroom and leaving class covered in ink. That spring we took old pens and nibs and ink to a local elementary school and taught the kids calligraphy. It was such an amazing afternoon watching their little hands make proper letterforms in this ancient medium. To this day I practice calligraphy (admittedly, in a more modern way) and am glad I had the chance to take that course!

Who was your favorite instructor at Mizzou? 
From day one I knew Deborah Huelsbergen would be an important person in my life. She was my advisor when I first walked into the A&S building and someone I looked forward to learning from early on. Having classes with her throughout the years just solidified that. She is almost never without a smile on her face, always around for an encouraging talk, and your biggest fan even when you're long gone from Mizzou. 

What advice would you give to a future Tiger? 
Be yourself! Be proud of who you are, enjoy every moment, and allow yourself to grow and learn. Also, connect with your professors! You never know when they'll nominate you for an award :)