Student Spotlight: Ronda de Paola

Ronda de Paola has an ear for music and also heard that College of DuPage had an exceptional music department.

"I already knew what my major would be," she said. "Convenience, location and excellence helped me decide on College of DuPage."

It helped that de Paola received several scholarships during her time at COD: the Tandaric Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship, the COD Returning Adult Scholarship and the Naperville Rotary Scholarship. After earning her Associate in Fine Arts degree in Music, de Paola transferred to Columbia College in Chicago to study film and music.

"I want to write and direct films that are driven by classical music, such as fiction and documentary films concerning composers such as Liszt and Clara Schumann," she said.

de Paola is currently applying to graduate schools and will be relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2013 to study there.

"My first choice for a graduate school is the prestigious AFI Conservatory, where many successful directors have previously studied such as David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Amy Heckerling, Darren Aronofsky and Edward Zwick," she said. "It's also important to note that I think very highly of the piano staff at College of DuPage. I still keep in contact with many of the professors there and continue to study with Svetlana Popova (whom I adore) to this day.

"All of the music staff and faculty have been especially helpful and supportive in every area. Special thanks go to Steven Havens, Lee Kesselman and Ken Paoli."

More about the Music program