Scholars in the Arts
"I am fascinated by the breadth of Art History and by how painting teaches a culture about itself."
Scholars in the News
Reshma Tharani, 21, is part of a new breed of community college student
Mark Sandberg
“I made an effort to concentrate on what mattered most to me in life instead of what was expected of me.”
- Program: 2008 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: Madison, WI
- Community College: Madison Area Technical College
- Four-year College or University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Anthropology, Fine Arts
Biography
PROFILE: Mark Sandberg did not fit the mold in his rural Iowa high school. “For as long as I can recall, I have been drawn to traditional cultures, their craft and their art; like those created for thousands of years by the Ojibwe, the Inuit, and the Sami of Scandinavia.” His curiosity led him through a diverse array of jobs and travel: apprenticing with a woodworker; leading hiking trips for kids in the upper peninsula of Michigan; apple picking in Wisconsin; carpentry in Minneapolis; working at Chicago’s School of the Art Institute; and traveling as a photographer’s assistant.
He has also spent time in South America, and led a six-week canoe expedition into the Canadian arctic to the Inuit village of Baker Lake. On that expedition, after a late June snow storm blew out their gear and two of the canoes, Mark found himself in charge of five 18-year-old boys and learned “the importance of confident leadership, teamwork, and the need to rise above fear for the greater goal of a successful trip.”
INSPIRATION: Mark credits his mother with inspiring him: “She’s given me unconditional love and acceptance, allowing me to be myself and follow my dreams. When my dad passed away, she transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom to a high-achieving nursing student, getting a nursing job to support her three kids.”
ASPIRATION: Mark wishes to pursue a master’s degree in education and ultimately hopes to open a school for experiential education. “My educational philosophy will draw from such influences as Danish folk schools, Summerhill Boarding School in England, the Timbertop Program at Geelong Grammar School, and Mittagundi School in Australia.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Mark received the Outstanding Volunteer Tutor Award from the Madison Metropolitan School District. An environmentalist committed to local food initiatives, he also volunteers at a community-supported agriculture farm, harvesting, weeding, and planting.
ACCOLADES: In addition to the Dean’s List and Phi Theta Kappa membership, Mark won first prize in Madison’s 48 Hour Film Festival as lead actor and creative collaborator in the film, A Future Simple.
INTERESTING FACT: Mark plays the guitar, mandolin, saw, and fiddle.
Other Scholars Like Mark
Stephanie Makaula
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Tulsa
Alla Jezmir
Graduate Scholar
Harvard University
Tiffany Mathis
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Florida
Raja Bobbili
Graduate Scholar
Harvard University