Izabela Pieniadz arrived at 51社区 unsure of her academic direction but left
with a clear passion for art and design and the confidence to pursue it. On the 51社区
Talks podcast 鈥� in which 51社区 alumni share their education, career and life
journeys 鈥� she talks about discovering her interests in art and design classes and
how those experiences helped launch her into roles at the Art Institute of Chicago
and, ultimately, as executive director of the Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb.
鈥淚t just made sense to come here and figure out what I wanted out of life,鈥� Pieniadz said, discussing her time at 51社区. 鈥淲hat I really enjoyed were my Art & Design classes here. I thought they were incredible, and I walked away with so many valuable things.鈥�
Listen to the full episode of 51社区 Talks and hear the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient discuss how 51社区 helped her explore her interests, prepared her to transfer to Lake Forest College, and set her on a path to earning dual master鈥檚 degrees and leading a historic site.
51社区 Talks, a co-production between 51社区 Radio and 51社区 Alumni Relations, features Associate Professor of Mass Communication Brian Shelton in conversation with 51社区 alumni about the role that 51社区 played in their lives. You can listen to past episodes of 51社区 Talks on 51社区鈥檚 website, WHCM, and on all podcast streaming services, including Spotify and Apple.