Jenna Tico ’12 came to Scripps wanting to “study life.” Four years later, she graduated with a degree in Humanities and a minor in dance and has loved every second of it.
“I was the quintessential liberal arts student – curious about every subject – with no idea how I would hone in on just one major,” she says. “I loved the idea of taking something I was interested in, looking at it from as many different angles as possible, and showing how that combined perspective gives me a greater understanding. I am constantly seeking, and finding, connections between subjects that inspire me.”
The Humanities major became an integral part of her success. “There is much to be gained from making a practical application of the sweeping, theoretical concepts we discuss in courses like the Core program,” she says. “With my thesis, I was able to physically engage with one aspect of my topic, contact improvisation dance, four times a week. Not only was I writing about something, I was doing it; I got to experience its effects for myself, not just read about it in a textbook.”
Tico’s examination of writing and dance demonstrates an overlap of two art forms that historically stand alone. Both, she argues, are emotional extensions of the mind and body working together as one unit.
“My research has literally changed the way I approach the world,” Tico says. “Thesis is a marathon, and I learned how my body and mind react when I am under pressure. I learned how to ask for help when I need it, how to be patient, and that I am able to follow through with something I set out to do, even when it feels impossible.”
This dedication has extended to other parts of Tico’s life, as well. ” I will work as an English tutor at Santa Barbara City College while interning at Santa Barbara Dance Institute,” she says. “In the fall, I plan to spend one month in Bali, Indonesia teaching English and organic gardening at the Slukat Learning Center, a school for rural families who would not otherwise have access to free education.
“After that, I have a volunteer job at a farm/yoga retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I plan to spend a lot of time thinking, working hard, unwinding from the fast pace of life at Scripps, looking inward, and looking outward toward the next step.”
“I am going to let the dust settle,” Tico says of life post Scripps. “Even though I will be working a lot and traveling to volunteer, I am looking forward to giving my brain and body the space to evaluate the things that matter to me; I want to take a break from technology, read books that I haven’t had time to read, dance, and to save my pennies for whatever comes next.”