About the Staff About the COFA Career Services Staff We are so excited to help you shape your career journey in the arts. Read more below about who we are and how we can help you. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH US Note: The link above will take you to your 12twenty@Texas account. Just click on “Appointments” in the left-hand menu. From there, you’ll see a list of all available appointment time slots that you can book. Sydney Westin Senior Career Services Coordinator, Center for Creative Economies sydney.westin@austin.utexas.edu Sydney Westin (she/her/hers) is an artist and educator. She comes from a background working in museum and gallery education. Most recently, she worked as the Senior Education Manager at the Beeville Art Museum, where she designed and implemented museum curriculum for local school districts. Sydney received her BFA in Studio Art and Art History from West Texas A&M University. While there, she worked as an educator for the Amarillo Museum of Art. She also had the opportunity to attend a study abroad program in London, which later led her to attending University College London, where she received her MA in Art and Design in Education. In her spare time, Sydney enjoys painting, reading, and exploring. Sydney serves all COFA students, but especially loves working with: Visual arts students Students who need help with artist’s statements, cover letters, and other professional writing Students interested in traveling or studying abroad Favorite place to hang out on campus: Having a stroll around the VAC to check out the current exhibitions. Childhood dream job: I wanted to be a veterinarian until allergies foiled my plans! Most interesting job/internship in college: My internship with the Amarillo Museum of Art in their education department. It solidified my love of museums and expanded my ideas of what it could mean to be an artist and teacher. Career tip for COFA students: Don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to make decisions and plan for a career, so instead break down your big picture goals into more manageable pieces, whether that’s sending an email you’ve been putting off, taking photos for your portfolio, setting up 30 minutes to research an internship, or maybe even scheduling a meeting with career services. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time!
