It Took Only One Still Life to be Reborn as an Artist
Queensborough graduate Jeanette Manmohan, ‘24, was Awarded the Womens Forum Education Fund Scholarship for $10,000, last spring geared toward women over the age of 35 who overcome obstacles to continue their education.
“I am so grateful to my mentors who encouraged me to apply for this scholarship,” said Jeanette, who graduated in May with an associate in science (A.S.) in Studio Art. “Having a job while in school is hard and this scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies at Queens College beginning this fall and help pay for books and notebooks and related expenses.”
Jeanette, who will major in studio art, has also been accepted into Queens College’s Minor in Business and Liberal Arts (BALA) Honors program which offers a multidisciplinary approach that combines the study of arts and sciences with basic business principles.
She came to the U.S. in 2000 from her home in Trinidad and Tobago to live with her family in Waterbury, CT. At 14, and all at once, Jeanette had to adjust to a new country, a city she was a stranger to, and a high school where her accent separated her from the rest of the crowd.
But eight years later, when she moved to New York City, she found the diversity and vibrancy she was longing for. And, in the fall of 2011, when she enrolled as a part-time student at Queensborough, she discovered a microcosm of that world.
Jeanette thrived in her courses but just as she was gaining steam, family, and work responsibilities began to weigh her down. She withdrew in the spring of 2012 and continued her full-time job as an apprentice at a printery store and then moved to Middle Village, Queens from Brooklyn, to be closer to her grandmother.
She had always harbored a love for art and in 2020 when the pandemic hit, she decided to take a virtual course in painting in the Art & Design department at Queensborough. It only took one still life to change the course of her academic career.
The next year Jeanette was involved in a car accident that landed her in the hospital for three months. After a series of surgeries and rehabilitation, Jeanette returned to Queensborough, determined to stay on track and get her degree.
“I was driven more than ever to develop as an artist. My mentors gave me the space to discover for myself what that meant.” Four of Jeanette's pieces were selected for the 2024 Juried Student Art Exhibit, including collages on paper of David Bowie and various prints.
“I am grateful for Queensborough and its student centric faculty and staff for providing inspiration, an exceptional education and instilling the determination to succeed and pay forward the culture of care I experienced here.”
###
