Step Into Stamps

On Saturday, November 8, the Stamps Pre-College & Outreach team launched Step into Stamps: A Discovery Event for Future Creatives in San Francisco, CA.

This free program was offered as an opportunity for prospective Stamps students and their families to meet Stamps alumni, have their portfolios reviewed by art and design professionals, connect with Stamps staff members, and learn more about the University of Michigan admissions process.

Over the course of the three-hour event, students explored the School’s programs in information sessions led by the Stamps Admissions team, engaged in discussions with Stamps Associate Director for Career Development Rebecca Reuland, and most notably, met one-on-one with Stamps alumni for portfolio reviews. These personalized sessions allowed students to receive valuable feedback on their creative work and ask the alumni panel questions about their experiences at U‑M, life after college, creative practices, and career paths.

Students found the opportunity to meet with practicing creative professionals as helpful as it was unique: The eleven participating Stamps alumni, listed below, brought their perspectives as design leaders, expert strategists, studio artists, and creative business owners to each portfolio review, providing personalized feedback and actionable suggestions. 

• Ann Belden (BFA ​’74), Artist and Food Stylist

• Maryann Bell (BFA ​’87), Executive Creative Director

• Rob Bertolina (BFA ​’98), Co-Founder and CEO

• Wen Chao (BFA ​’95), Principal, Medical Animator, and Illustrator

• Melinda Keough (BFA ​‘99), Creative Director and Illustrator

• Elizabeth Laraki (BFA ​’01), Design Partner

• Todd Lefelt (BFA ​’92), Artist, User Experience Director

• Matt Peterson (BFA ​’00), Founder and Principal

• Bill Reuter (BFA ​’80), Creative Director

• Cat Seto (BFA ​’94), Artist and Author

• Tony Wessling (BFA ​’85), Gallery Director

From the opposite side of the table, the panel of participating alumni reviewers also found the experience of connecting with prospective students rewarding. Todd Lefelt (BFA ​’92) noted, ​“Getting the chance to connect one-on-one with prospective students was incredible. Hearing them talk about their work, their interests, and what an arts education could mean for them in their own words was fascinating. It was really wonderful to give back to Stamps and be able to contribute in a meaningful way to a school that’s played such a formative role in all of our lives.”

This innovative program was inspired by Cat Seto (BFA ​‘94), one of the alumni who participated in the event. As the mother of a San Francisco high school student interested in art school, Cat noticed that teenagers had few opportunities to connect with potential programs. She came to the Stamps Advancement Team with a simple question: How might Stamps become more visible and accessible to high school students in the Bay Area? A year of creative development and generative collaboration led to the launch of Step Into Stamps.

With the success of this inaugural event, the Stamps School plans to expand the program to additional cities in the future, including more of our knowledgeable and generous alumni community along the way. Together, we can establish new access points and pathways to a creative education for students nationwide. 

Are you interested in supporting Step into Stamps? Let us know: we are excited to connect with you about joining our effort as portfolio reviewers, location scouts, and program participants. You can help us bring this incredible program to your city! 

Additionally, we hope Cat’s story will be an invitation to you to share your thoughts with the Stamps Advancement team: you just might have the idea for our next unique and impactful program.