Claudette Clark is a Cuyamaca College student who will earn her Associate’s degree this June in multiple disciplines; Music Performance, Music Industry Studies, as well as Music Education. The path she chose to take at Cuyamaca College is not traditional, but is personal.
Claudette found her way to Cuyamaca College after trying many different career fields. Over a ten year period, she worked in clinical research, as a paralegal, and attended law school. While she was good at all these roles, she realized they were not her calling. In an effort to find her calling, Claudette spoke with colleagues who recommended the “quiet campus on the hill” and suggested she connect with Professor Taylor Smith in the music department. During a tour of the music department, Smith discussed the different music programs offered at Cuyamaca College.
Claudette’s mother, who passed away in 2015, was a classically trained entertainer and part of the United First Negro Classical Ballet. Claudette says her mother got to point where she gave up on her dreams and just began pursuing other ventures. Finding herself in the same position, Claudette decided it was time for a change.
“When she [her mother] passed, I thought ‘well, maybe I should be about following my dreams instead of settling,’” said Claudette. With her mother as inspiration, Claudette enrolled at Cuyamaca College to pursue music.
After commencement, Claudette is enrolling at Point Loma Nazarene University to continue her studies in Music Education. In the future, Claudette hopes to be a facilitator of a studio where artists would have the space to create and showcase their talents outside. She plans to use her education to aid people suffering with PTSD, Alzheimer’s, Autism, and other mental health conditions with musical therapy.
“They say that one of the last senses we have when we leave this place is our hearing. If that’s a bridge to help people with their quality of life, I want to be a part of that,” said Claudette.