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(music)
DANA: We only had one class together.
The very last class, our capstone class.
And honestly, it wasn't her.
She has been very supportive and very wonderful,
but I was leery of taking a class with her.
One, because she's a better student,
and two, I didn't want to embarrass her,
by having her going to school with her mom.
I mean how terrible is that?
ILYSE: I was so happy when you told me.
I think people knew, I think they knew somehow.
DANA: Ok, in the first class I handed her something,
and said, "Here, sweetie." And she went, "Sweetie?!"
ILYSE: And the only reason, the only reason I, I was surprised,
is because she told me that she didn't want people to know.
And then she was the one, and I was like,
I thought you didn't want people to know.
But you're calling me sweetie, okay.
DANA: I started here, fresh out of high school,
the way you're supposed to.
CSUN is, was even before Ilyse, a family tradition.
My older sister had gone here.
I stopped going and got married.
And then a number of years later,
Ilyse came along.
And when it came time for her go,
she picked CSUN as well.
ILYSE: I knew I wanted to study art,
but I didn't want to go to an art school,
because I also wanted to go to a school that had
strong academic programs,
and CSUN has both.
It has an attractive art program,
but it also has a good English program.
And I thought that studying different subjects other than art,
would inform my art, and I ended up taking a double major
in Studio Art and English Literature.
English literature program emphasizes close reading and critical thinking.
Learning to think critically in that way
became very important to my art.
It helped to see an application for my skills.
I'm really glad I went to CSUN, because I wouldn't have taken
any English classes if I went to an art school.
DANA: I'd always said, gee I can go back.
You know I can go back and finish this whenever I want to.
And I decided that was the time to do it.
I wasn't really sure I could do it,
but I really really wanted to finish, and I came back.
I'm really glad I did it,
and would recommend it to anyone at any age
to come back and finish.
I learned a lot, and not just what I learned in the class room.
I really learned a lot about myself,
and how I learn, and how I relate to things.
ILYSE: I'm so proud of you. I am proud of you.
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