ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

James Loy 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the hosts and guests may or may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.

Student

I'm a senior. I'm about to graduate, and I've done a lot of cool things in college.

Student

I never thought that I was going to be an intramural curler. I never thought that I was going to be the student body president.

Student

These four years have been the biggest amount of growth I've seen in my entire life.

Student

It's not just about the academics, but like, what kind of person you turn into, which is super cool.

Maggie 

I think the idea of college starting to feel like home, it can definitely be a very nuanced question. Like, I remember specifically last year one time I went to go visit my boyfriend for a weekend, and I called my parents to let them know that I was on my way back to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. And when they were like, what's up? Why are you calling? I was like, Oh, I just want to let you know I'm back on my way home.

Isa Obradovich 

Yeah.

Maggie 

And the first time I said it, I had this feeling. I was like, oh, wait, no!

Isa Obradovich 

one of my best friends had the exact same realization that they were referring to their apartment as home,

Maggie 

yeah.

Isa Obradovich 

And it kind of like stuck with me, because I never had the transition period of, oh, this is my dorm, or this is home, like it was just home--

Maggie 

Yeah?

Maggie 

Yeah.

Isa Obradovich 

-- Because I don't think I've ever considered any place really to be home--

Isa Obradovich 

--And finding that independence on my own for the first time ever, and having the ability to make my own choices and be supported by people that I love, that immediately felt like home.

Maggie 

Absolutely. I mean, a big part of college feeling like home is the people you meet and the things you get to do. And so I think it's definitely hard to pin down like when it feels like home. I don't think you can ever really describe it. It just sort of happens. You maybe you wake up one day and you're like, wow, like, I'm way more comfortable here than I was a year ago or two years ago. And, yeah, we're gonna talk a lot more about all the changes and all the growth and all the development that happens while you're at college, because this is Major Insight the podcast where we talk about finding your place and purpose on campus. My name is Maggie Snee, and who are you?

Isa Obradovich 

My name is Isa Obradovich. I'm a third year Art Education major.

Maggie 

Do you want to kind of go in on how you chose your major? Maybe why you stuck with it.

Isa Obradovich 

I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. There was this moment when I was in second grade and I was working on this packet that was all about weather and how to read graphs and how to read a thermometer. And my teacher, Mrs. Lombardi, was helping me, and I was like, wow. I just - I remember having this feeling, I want to help other students feel the way that I feel so supported right now and then, I didn't know that I wanted to be specifically an art teacher until I was in middle school when my art teacher, Mr. Raubacher, encouraged my passion for art in a way that was just so affirming, like, yeah, you have this passion and this potential, I realized that art made me feel relaxed. It made me feel like I had a purpose. It made me feel as though I could create something new that hadn't been created before, and he just nurtured that passion in me--

Maggie 

Yeah.

Isa Obradovich 

-- and then I just knew that I wanted to be an art teacher. So when it came time to apply to college, I came to tour ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú at Arts day in September 2021 and just how everybody, the faculty, the staff, the current students, they were all just so passionate to share the joy that they'd found at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and in the program with me, and they were just so interested in getting to know me as a person and what my story was, and why I wanted to be an art teacher, and why I was interested in what I was interested in what my story was. And I just felt so supported and surrounded by community that I really love that, and now I'm here.

Maggie 

Exactly. I love that. Community is such an important part, not just like when you're at college and you're actively being an undergrad student, but when you're making that first step, that decision of, is this where I want to go? Is this where I want to spend the next four years of my life? And I agree, I think faculty and just seeing the community behind it is such an important part of making that decision. With that in mind, do you have any faculty members that you'd like to shout out?

Isa Obradovich 

Oh my gosh, literally, every single one is amazing. But I want to give a special shout out to Dr. Stephanie Danker. She is the best. I just learned so much, and I'm so appreciative of just the way that she's taught me how to think in new ways and find new ways to combine all the things that I'm interested in.

Maggie 

Absolutely.

Isa Obradovich 

Dr. Luke Meeken, same thing. He is just such a kind, incredible person with all of the same qualities that I listed about Dr. Danker, just there's so many incredible faculty members.

Maggie 

Absolutely, I think especially what you said about professors kind of giving you that space to to learn and grow independently, because it's such a different dynamic from high school, where we had a set list of classes that we had to take if we wanted to graduate, maybe some leeway here and there with what electives we wanted to take. But aside from that, like the path is pretty much laid out from the time you're a freshman to the time you graduate, and then it's so different coming to college, where, you call so many of the shots like it's so personalized and very personal, obviously, to each person, and having faculty surrounding you who let you explore certain areas that you're very passionate about, and who you know- foster that you know, curiosity and growth based mindset is just such a blessing in college. It really makes you feel like you're coming into your own as a student.  I have genuinely tried so hard every semester, if it fits in my schedule, I try to take a class that kind of just breaks up the monotony of you know, all of my major based classes coming up here next spring, I am in all 400 level classes--

Isa Obradovich 

Wow.

Maggie 

-- all bio and geography. And when I was looking through classes, I was like Music 115: Beginning Piano for Non-Majors- sure! I think you just need something that kind of, you know, keeps the creative spark, or just something that maybe keeps you going throughout the semester, because it is hard to just be going, going, going, especially when you get into your really advanced and really high level classes.

Isa Obradovich 

Even in art, even though there's so many different studios that you have to take that address so many different subject areas within art, and it's so many disciplines, like 3D, 2D, just so many ways that you can combine all of those. I really love how, at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú we can combine so many different subject areas into what we want to study. So I find that I get less burnt out, I get less stressed out. I get less just like "oh, my God. The entire world is crumbling down around me." When I have different classes that are structured in different ways that allow me to, I don't know, explore things I love because I love academics. I love learning. I love I love doing my assignments. Oh my god. Checking the tasks off of Canvas brings me such joy.

Maggie 

And then when you complete one of the little rings for your classes, it gives you the little pop of confetti.

Isa Obradovich 

I love the confetti!

Maggie 

Oh my god.

Isa Obradovich 

I thrive off of positive affirmation. And when I can do that in a class, it's like, okay, you have a bunch of, like, essays, discussion posts, whatever, and then you just like, finish them off for the month. It's like, oh my gosh, I get my confetti.

Maggie 

It feels so fulfilling because you're like, I'm done.

Isa Obradovich 

I'm done.

Maggie 

Yeah. This would be the time where I would normally ask, maybe, like, some of the things that you do outside of school, but we already have a little bit of insight onto what you do outside of school.

Isa Obradovich 

I'm sure you do!

Maggie 

So, you are quite active on Instagram and Tiktok, I would even go as far to say that you are an influencer.

Isa Obradovich 

And unfortunately, that is one of my titles.

Maggie 

You have a million followers on TikTok.

Isa Obradovich 

I have a million on TikTok, 930,000 on YouTube. I have 170,000 on Instagram, and then like 200,000 on Snapchat. For whatever reason.

Maggie 

I personally, I just, I cannot wrap my head around what like, being knowledgeable, that-that many people follow you. I can't even just, I can't comprehend that in my head.

Isa Obradovich 

How did it start, and what was it like getting into it? And then I mean, what is it like as it continues to grow and change?

Isa Obradovich 

Sometimes I see like visualizations of, okay, this is how many people fit in, like an 80,000 person stadium. I'm like, that is half the people that follow me on Instagram. And they'll see, like, this is, how can you conceptualize or visualize what a million people looks like? And then I'll see, like, an image that just depicts that. And I'll be like, are you serious? Like that tiny people watch me post my stupid little 15 second videos on Tiktok.

Isa Obradovich 

So actually, in 10 days, will be the seven year anniversary of me starting my Instagram account.  And I started that when I was 13, and I was in eighth grade, and I was just like, "oh my gosh. I want to share my art online. Yay. I want to see what people think." And then people thought. People were really nice about it, and they started following me, and we started interacting and engaging in the comments section, and I built this nice community of people, and I made friends, and then it just kind of snowballed from there.

Maggie 

Has it created any sort of unexpected maybe pressures or even challenges, has it impacted your life off of social media?

Isa Obradovich 

I'm gonna answer this question in a way of how my relationship with interacting with these platforms has changed from the time that I started in middle school to now being 20 entire years old. That's weird. But at the end of middle school, and like all throughout high school, I kind of relied on it as a crutch to fulfill my need for social interaction and like, friendships and relationship building, because I didn't have a whole bunch of friends in real life, and I just made friends online, because, oh my gosh, we all share the same interest, and there's 7 billion of you on here.

Maggie 

Yeah.

Isa Obradovich 

It's easier to make friends that way. And then I got to college, and I had friends, and it's crazy. Hi friends. And now I'm here, and not only have I been getting that social fulfillment like in real life, but the way that I interact with social media, I've noticed, has changed in a way that, okay, it's more of a means to an end now. Like, I use this as a place to showcase my work, to do what after that, to get opportunities to pay my bills, to put a specific message out there in regards to activism. But now it's more of a tool, rather than my entire life. Like, all encompassing.

Maggie 

Yeah.

Isa Obradovich 

It's not like I post on my story every 15 seconds. Now, it's like I post on my story every 15 minutes. It's just so different now in the ways that I interact with it as a medium for communicating my artwork and just my life. And it first started as, okay, it's this thing, oh, wait, I have friends on here. Now, that's cool. That's really awesome. Oh, wait, there's a lot of people on here, more than just my friends. Oh, wait, people are really mean it on the internet, but I have friends on the internet who are gonna defend me from them, and then, oh, I have friends in real life. Oh, wait, this whole thing actually means something more than just me posting my art. It's a way that hasn't been super explored in art education or just community engagement, like, how do you view that through an art education lens? So I'm super interested in how those things intersect all of the time.

Maggie 

Absolutely, so I guess kind of in the same vein, how would you say what you're doing on social media maybe has overlapped with or even helped you grow in your undergraduate studies here at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú?

Isa Obradovich 

First of all, I got a job as the CCA social media intern. Go me hashtag employment. Shout out to my boss, Tasha, she's the best. But also, in regards to my undergraduate research, it was the basis for my undergraduate Summer Scholars project, which is still in the works. So I don't want to talk too much about that, but it-- also I use just the lens of digital community building, and just that perspective on everything else has informed a lot of my work, subconsciously in ways that I'm still unpacking too.

Maggie 

Yeah of course. So would you say that you see yourself continuing on social media after you graduate?

Isa Obradovich 

Yes, if anything, at the bare minimum, it will just be used to supplement my art teacher income, but hopefully I can expand into something greater that just provides more access for people to art education, because it's not always accessible in school, depending on not just what country you live in, but even what district within a state that you're living in, like which schools have the resources for that? And if I can provide some sort of window into the arts for somebody, and provide them with that sense of community and just spark their interest in something that will be good.

Maggie 

Since starting on social media, what would you say is, like, the main kind of content or art you post?

Isa Obradovich 

I've found a great love for self portraiture since I made my first real attempt at one when I was 15. And then as I was working on it, I found that I was taking the time just to layer by layer, carve out all of my features, all of the perceived imperfections, like the pimples, the upper lip hair, the double chin, just all of it, I was taking the time to render these in a way that was accurate to my likeness, and when I was done, I found that when I looked in the mirror, I didn't have as much contempt for these parts of myself as I once did. I found that putting in the time to render these in an accurate to life way, just gave me a greater appreciation for my own form, just the aspects of my face that make me unique. And ever since then, I just kind of haven't stopped doing self portraits. It's easier. I don't run into like, fair use copyright stuff, because it's me, but it's also very healing to spend so much time, kind of uncomfortably intimately looking at your features and looking at every single nook and cranny of your pores and all of that, and just spend so much time and energy, and at this point, built up skill and expertise to render these in a way that even if it's like horrifyingly detailed. It's still kind of beautiful that you're putting in that time to portray yourself true to life.

Maggie 

That is getting to know yourself on a whole different level.

Isa Obradovich 

Oh yeah, it sure is. And I've done so many self portraits, even non figurative self portraits, like still life self portraits in some of my classes, and it's just fascinating to find how even the surface level representation of yourself like you think that it's like realistic, hyper realistic, whatever you look back on several years worth now, about five years worth of self portraits that you have, and you can find the subtle nuances in how you're feeling about yourself and. About your life when you created those based off of maybe little things that you have subconsciously tweaked without even wanting to. And now that I'm doing ceramics, I'm making my face. I-- I'm just trying to capture this moment in time through self portraiture. And I don't know it's very healing.

Maggie 

Obviously, the journey that you've had since getting to college, you know how your your interests and your goals have changed. How have you seen yourself grow and change as a person since starting now, being in your third year. You know, how do you think you've grown and changed?

Isa Obradovich 

The biggest way that I've changed that's most visible to other people is my confidence. I'm no longer afraid to walk into a room of people and anticipate that they all already hate me for whatever unknown reason. And now I wake up and I look forward to what the day has to offer. I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy being more extroverted. I find such joy in simply existing, in being surrounded by people who love me and people whom I love. I am just so much more confident in myself, not just like physical appearance wise, not just like I think I'm cool, but just in what I can do and what I have done and in my abilities for what I'll be able to continue doing. Yeah, I have much more confidence in the value of my work, and I know that it matters, and that's so different, because as a senior in high school, as a freshman in college, I was like, nobody cares about what I have to say. They all think I'm stupid and uncool and a loser. I'm no longer afraid to stand up and talk in front of a room of people. I just feel more confident overall in every sense of the word.

Maggie 

Yeah, I mean, college, it's such a formative time. I think that if you were to ask anyone you know, like, what's college like? I think baseline, everyone's answer is some version of, oh, it's just it changes you so much, and it's so formative. And these are the best years of your life.

Isa Obradovich 

It's metamorphosis.

Maggie 

It truly is. I mean, I think it's impossible to go through college and leave exactly the same as you were when you came in, even if you start and you're like, I know exactly what I want to do, I know exactly what major I want to do, exactly what classes I want to take, I know exactly what job I want after graduation, even if you come in completely sure of yourself, you will still change so much, because college is not just about the academics and the classes and the clubs, it's about how you change as a person and how your experiences affect who you are.

Isa Obradovich 

If you come into college and by the time that you leave after four years, you did only exactly the things that you wanted to and nothing else. Something is wrong. College, you just go through it and you learn, not only so much about the world around you and how you exist away from the place where you grew up, maybe, or how you exist within the school community, and how you exist in just a new environment with new systems and just new vibes, man. You just learned so much about yourself, and if you do everything that you thought you were gonna do, that's great, amazing. I love that for you, because I love that for me too. I did, I've done so many things, but you need to. You just do so much more. You just end up doing so much more you have a limited amount of time on campus. And as an undergrad student and as a college student, you find that you find the most joy, the most fulfillment and taking advantage of the opportunities that you think will serve you.

Maggie 

One of my biggest things as I've been entering my last year of college and realizing that, wow, it's nearly over, has been telling myself I am only going to be 20 years old in college once. I am only going to be here once. I'm never going to do anything like this again. I might as well live my life to the fullest while I'm here.

Isa Obradovich 

The point of it all is just happiness. And if you are chasing the opportunities that make you happy, regardless of what those may look like you're doing it right.

Maggie 

I'd say that's accurate. Well, Isa, thank you so much for coming in.

Isa Obradovich 

Thank you for having me.

Maggie 

I have loved having this conversation with you.

Isa Obradovich 

 Likewise,

Maggie 

I mean, I just, I think your whole situation at college, with everything you're doing, and where can people follow you? On social media?

Isa Obradovich 

People can follow me at Isabella.drawsss, it'll come up.

Maggie 

Thank you so much for coming in and talking with me. I've loved this conversation.

Isa Obradovich 

Thank you so much for having me.

Maggie 

Of course.

Isa Obradovich is an Art Education major with a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages endorsement certification. After graduation, she plans to become an art teacher at a bilingual school, while to continuing to use her influence on social media to support art and education.

Thank you again for listening to this episode of Major Insight. Many more episodes are always available wherever you get your podcasts.