Student Spotlight: Kimberly Kuba

Kimberly Kuba is already an accomplished artist. A member of the La Grange Art League since her junior year in high school, Kuba exhibits and sells her work through the league as well as on a web site she opened on Etsy.

But she also wants to pursue a career in art education. Instead of going away to school, Kuba felt comfortable coming to College of DuPage, which she already knew because of the good experience her brother had.

"I didn't want to be one of those people who would be overwhelmed with the whole experience of going off by yourself, away from your family and friends, to a place you weren't familiar with at all," she said. "I wanted to commute from home so that I could get used to college."

Kuba enrolled at COD in fall of 2010. So far, the plan is working.

"COD is helping me achieve my dream of becoming an art teacher, but it's also helping me learn what I need to do to and what it takes to succeed in college," she said. "I'm also learning a lot about myself along the way as I continue my art both inside and outside of school with a different perspective in mind."

Kuba, who maintains a 4.0 GPA, will graduate from COD in 2012 with an Associate in Science degree and then transfer to Northern Illinois University, where she would like to study art education and earn her bachelor's degree. She has received the Huskie Legacy Award, which is a scholarship for students whose family members also attended NIU. After that she'd like to enroll in graduate school.

In addition, she plans to continue pursuing her art, whether it's displaying or selling her work in galleries or online.

"I also do commissioned work for people in the area," she said. "I love working with paint, specifically acrylics and oils on stretched canvas. The subject matter in my work tends to change, although I do have a fondness for dark, contrasting color combinations as well as surrealistic landscapes."

More about COD's transfer programs
More about COD's Art program