When Elielle arrived in Baltimore, she thought she knew the city. What she discovered instead was a campus alive with student work that felt human and attainable.

“I saw the work and thought, this is the level I want to reach,” she says. “I didn’t feel intimidated. I felt welcomed.”

That feeling stayed with her.

At MICA, Elielle found more than studios and critiques. She found a community rooted in kindness and care—one that supports the whole person, not just the artist. During one of the hardest seasons of her life, faculty and peers showed up in ways she never expected.

“MICA became the place that held me,” she says. “It shaped not just my art, but who I’m becoming.”

Ready to experience MICA for yourself? Visit campus, connect with admissions, and see what it feels like to be welcomed into a creative community that believes in you. Learn more at mica.edu/admissions.