By B.C. Manion
She’s just heading to college and already Elizabeth Fox, who is graduating from Wesley Chapel High, has made an agonizing choice.
She had to choose between attending Pratt Institute in New York, a prestigious art and design school, or a respected regional school – much closer to home – that offered her a better package.
After discussing her options with her parents, she chose The Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota.
It was a decision that meant letting go of the dream of living in a big city and attending a world-renowned school, the 18-year-old said.
“Ultimately, it came down to money,” Fox said. “Pratt was almost double what Ringling was,” she said, estimating a degree from Pratt would have cost about $300,000.
Like thousands of graduating seniors making college choices, Fox had to consider these questions: “How successful are you going be in your career and can you really see yourself paying off those debts? Is it going to be worth it?
“You have to go with what’s smart,” she said.
While disappointed that Pratt was beyond her financial reach, she is pleased she was admitted. The school had about 6,000 applicants for 680 available slots and offered her a $15,000 scholarship, renewable for four years.
She’s also grateful for Ringing’s support in awarding her the Presidential Scholarship, which goes to the strongest applicant within each major. The award is worth $20,000 a year, Fox said.
“Since they gave me their No. 1 scholarship for interior design, they obviously have faith in me. It’s a lot to live up to, but it’s also a compliment,” said Fox, who intends to be an interior designer.
“Even before I could put a name to interior design, I was just really into it.
“Whenever I walk down an aisle in Home Depot, or something, with tiles and finishes – there’s just like a little spark in me. I’m just so happy. I don’t think this is normal, but it shows that I’m really passionate about it,” Fox said.
Being accepted to Ringling and Pratt was an enormous boost for her confidence.
“When I got the first acceptance to Ringling, I was just blown away. I couldn’t believe it.
“And then, they sent me their scholarship – their top presidential scholarship and I actually cried. I was just so shocked.
“And then I got my letter from Pratt. That was just a double shocker. I really did feel special that they wanted me,” said Fox, who lives with her parents, Kathy and Jim, in Wesley Chapel. She also has a brother, Jeff, 28, and a sister, Sarah, 26.
Fox credits her mom for fostering her creativity and appreciates her support. The young woman has been taking art classes since preschool and has taken just about every class available in high school. She also has attended a three-hour evening class at Ringling, with her mom driving her to Sarasota and waiting patiently in the parking lot.
The art student’s portfolio includes works in oil, pencil and watercolor. She also has worked on interior designs. Last summer, through her church, she helped design rooms for a pregnancy center called Life Choices Women’s Care in Lutz, said Fox, who attends Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O’ Lakes.
“I spent the majority of my summer putting together a bunch of paint colors and fabrics. I did the labor, too. I got like 300 hours of community service,” she said.
The experience was instructive. For instance, she learned that paint may appear one way on a paint chip and another way on a wall.
“Definitely, always buy paint samples,” she advised.
Lighting matters, too, she said.
“You might have fluorescent lights in one room and natural lights in another – and it changes everything.”
Perhaps her biggest lesson was learning how to deal with “everyone from teen volunteers to board members to people that had very, very strong opinions and were not afraid to share them.
“I’m a little sensitive,” she acknowledged, noting she’s going to have to develop a thicker skin.
Her high school art teacher, Kathleen Taylor, said Fox “produces excellent artwork.
When she’s creating a piece, she goes into a zone,” Taylor said.
“Elizabeth has got the whole package. She’s bright and she’s talented. She stands out.”
