Student Profile

Jordan Tobin
Indiana, Pa.
Major: Art History
Class: 2008

Imagine gazing up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or observing the ruins of the Coliseum. For those with a passion for art and architecture, it’s the ultimate field experience, and one that Jordan Tobin will never forget.

A senior art history major from Indiana, Pa., Tobin lived in Rome last semester during a study-abroad experience through the Institute for International Education of Students. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about art history,” she says. “Every class was extremely focused on field study, and I was able to absorb a lot.”

It was actually Tobin’s second visit to Italy. She and her family made the trip six years ago, and she hopes to return there someday soon. “I would love to live in Rome,” says Tobin, whose great grandfather was born in southern Italy. “I am looking into teaching English as a second language there, and pursuing a master’s degree at the American University of Rome.”

Tobin describes her four-month stay as “invaluable” and suggests that every student should consider a semester abroad. “I think it is very important to study in another country,” she says. “I learned a lot about how cultures interact, as well as learning a lot about myself.”

In addition to her extensive study of art history, Tobin did her best to learn the language. “Outside of our Italian language classes, other students from the program and I made an effort to speak the language with each other for practice,” she says. “It’s a tough one to learn, but I loved trying, and my comprehension level was quite high by the time I left.”

Now that she’s back in Wooster, Tobin is looking forward to getting started on her Senior Independent Study (I.S.) project, Wooster’s nationally renowned senior capstone experience in which students research a topic of their choice with guidance from a faculty member and produce an undergraduate thesis. She plans to look at the transition between Futurism and Suprematism in art history under advisor John Siewert, associate professor of art history at Wooster, and she should have an excellent frame of reference following her studies in Rome.

Tobin might never have been in this situation, were it not for a conversation she had with her family several years ago. It was then that she learned that her maternal grandmother went to Wooster and graduated in 1946, when I.S. was still an elective and not a requirement. “I was curious about it, so I decided to visit,” says Tobin. “I didn’t go until the spring of my senior year in high school, but as soon as I got there, I was sold on it. The campus was beautiful, and everyone was so friendly.”

Four years later, she is convinced she made the right choice. “I’ve had a fantastic four years,” says Tobin, who has also found time to sing in the chorus and play saxophone in the jazz band. “There would have been no better place for me to find myself. I’ve received an excellent education, and I’ve met some great people.”

After graduation, Tobin plans to make a career of her studies. “I’m really interested in museum work,” says Tobin, who also has a minor in English. “I’d like to work as a curator at some point. Ultimately, though, I think I would like to combine my major and minor to someday become a museum critic.”