A new class has arrived at The Cooper Union. In this first of a series looking at small group of them, we ask a few questions of each to find out more about them and how they ended up here. Watch for more in the series in coming weeks.  

Alfred Jack Dudley
School of Art
Landover, MD

Why did you choose to attend Cooper?

I chose Cooper Union because of its prestige, rich culture, and unparalleled education in the arts.

How did you become interested in art?

I had trouble focusing in class when I was young. But in art, I found something that caught my attention. I learned how to focus in on ideas and express myself. I gained confidence through my art and it helped me to develop in other areas.

What have you been up to this summer?

I worked as an election judge for a week during the early voting period for our state’s primary elections. I went to Las Vegas to participate in the NAACP’s ACT-SO national competition in which I won a gold medal in painting. I spent two weeks as a counselor at Little Friends For Peace Camp and I spent a seemingly astronomical amount of time in solitude working in my sketchbook.

What are you most looking forward to about college?

Many students from my school [The Center for the Visual and Performing Arts at Suitland High School] have gone to Cooper Union and I have been able to speak with a number of them. When they have spoken about their experience, they shared how transformative an experience it was. I want that for myself. That is what I am looking forward to.

Anna Joselle Lomboy
School of Engineering
Monmouth Junction, NJ

How did you hear about The Cooper Union?

I first heard about The Cooper Union from teammates on the South Brunswick High School Science Olympiad team who were also interested in studying engineering in college. During my junior year of high school, I discussed my interest in studying engineering with my AP Statistics teacher who then encouraged me to consider The Cooper Union. 

Why did you choose to attend Cooper?

I was particularly impressed by The Cooper Union's commitment to instructing students extensively in the fundamentals of mathematics, science, and engineering together with problem solving skills vital to success in both engineering and non-engineering disciplines. Another aspect that drew my attention was the small student-to-faculty ratio. Lastly, I chose Cooper because its location in the middle of one of the world's largest cities offers a contrast to the small close-knit environment within the school itself. I was thrilled at the opportunity to experience life in a place so rich with cultural history and perhaps further develop my appreciation for the arts.

Nichil Stewart
School of Architecture
San Francisco, CA

Why did you choose to attend Cooper?

It was definitely the students at Cooper that made the school so appealing to me. Not only is the quality of student work here second to none, but also I really appreciated the sense of responsibility, community activism, and camaraderie that defines the student body.

How did you become interested in architecture?

I’ve done digital and traditional illustration for the past few years and I also find myself very interested in urbanism and issues like gentrification, all of which I feel are heavily related to architecture.

What are you most looking forward to about college?

I’m really looking forward to the studio and humanities classes at Cooper, as well as checking out some museums and other monuments in New York.