Career Readiness Through Art Therapy

Maryland Made’s Gossett Fellows Program hosted a career mapping art workshop led by visual artist Melanie Royster on Sept. 10 at Gossett Hall’s study lounge. 

The artsy experience allowed student-athletes to express, explore and evolve their desired professional journey. Among many other pieces of advice, Royster encouraged young Terps to step outside their comfort zone and evaluate their past, present and future. 

The Gossett Fellows Program at the University of Maryland provides a space for student-athletes to grow outside of their sports. Student-athletes give much time and effort to the university, and Maryland is committed to giving it back. 

The Gossett Fellows Program prepares student-athletes for life beyond college, showing them they’re more than just athletes. Royster relayed the same message during the evening of arts and crafts. 

“You are more than an athlete,” she said. “You are multidimensional.”

Royster is a former Division I basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her experience as a student-athlete helped her connect with the Terps and understand the emotional stress of being one.  

“I know exactly what they're going through,” Royster said. “I was the one navigating class, practices and personal life. Being a student-athlete is so stressful, and not talking about your emotions or addressing them is crazy.”

According to the American Psychiatric Association, art therapy can reduce conflicts and distress, improve cognitive functions, foster self-esteem, and build emotional resilience and social skills.

Royster uses art to challenge athletes mentally. She says many athletes understand how to navigate physical challenges, but most people struggle to open up about how they feel. She believes art is an outlet and helps give meaning to feelings that words can’t describe. 

The Gossett Fellows group was given a canvas divided into thirds by two pieces of tape. They were asked to start by painting a picture of the present. Royster asked the athletes to remind themselves of their purpose and connect with their emotions. 

“Because of school and sports, it's often hard to think about what's going on, and sometimes we go through the motions,” Kennedy Bell, a junior on the women’s soccer team, said. “This helped me set myself up for the future.”

Bell and other student-athletes were then asked to paint a picture of their past. They were told to focus on colors and shapes. Adaeze Alaeze, the Program Director of Student-Athlete Career Development, reminded the group that their paintings should not make sense to anyone but themselves.

“Metaphors allowed me to say the words that you don’t have a way to describe,” Reece Temoney, a junior Maryland track and field athlete, said. “Different visuals connected with different parts of my life that I didn't expect, like cherries represented the community.”

After revisiting their past, the athletes moved to envision their future. This section was focused on growth. Royster challenged the group to push their boundaries and think differently. Athletes may suppress their feelings and forget that part of living is feeling. This event provided a space for the Terps to slow down and feel. 

“Going through the past and the present helped me visualize what I need to do to be successful in the future,” Allie Kubek, a graduate forward on the women’s basketball team, said. “It was fun to do it in a way where I didn't have to verbally explain it.”

The Terps finished visualizing their future on the canvas and were asked to remove the pieces of tape separating their past, present and future. The group’s last artistic feat of the evening was to connect the three. 

“Other career events don't wrap in the emotional impact of what you are feeling,” Bell said. “This changed how I view my career growth, not personal growth. I also struggle with verbalizing emotions, and this helped me express them.”

After finishing their masterpieces, the Terps reflected on their artwork. Some athletes expressed how having a space to express emotions they can’t verbally describe made them feel seen and grounded in the moment.

“It’s cool to see people going through the same thing as you,” Temoney said. “You don’t always interact with other teams, and Gossett Fellows forces you to, which I like.”

Royster mentioned that most athletes don’t play professionally, and many people end up feeling lost. The Gossett Fellows Program gives athletes a space to grow professionally and explore life beyond sports. Combining art with career mapping allows people to express themselves while reflecting on their goals.

“It's really just about career versus a job,” Royster said. “You can almost always get a job and make money. When you think about a career, you think about what you're good at and your purposes. You create a career when you're giving back, and you can do that when you're in touch with your emotions.”