HPU'S SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN: CREATING EXPERIENCES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.

Walking into Norton Hall, you will see students' artwork on display around every corner. Photography, paintings and drawings of all sizes showcase projects they've completed.

Beyond the foyer, in the high-tech studios and classrooms, students in High Point University's School of Art and Design aren't just creating works of art.

They're building their future.

Here, students are inspired by their professors to take on new opportunities, try new techniques and explore how they can apply their knowledge outside the classroom.

Dr. John Turpin, dean of the School of Art and Design, knows professors are the key to unlocking students' potential.

"I believe this has everything to do with the faculty and staff and the example that they set," Turpin says. "It begins with the inspiration offered by HPU President Nido Qubein and what he has done at HPU. Then it becomes more about those meaningful moments between a faculty mentor and student."

HPU is the only private college in North Carolina and one of only a handful elsewhere to offer students the opportunity to study in programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

A Place to Call Home

The kitchen walls were painted a 1950's mint green. The living room's dusty maroon and gold colors were dark and uninviting. But with help from HPU students, these spaces now resemble something from a magazine.

Last fall, assistant professor Catherine Hillenbrand-Nowicki and three interior design students gave Leslie's House, an emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness, a much needed facelift.

It was an experience that benefited their community while providing skills they can take beyond HPU and into the real world.

Dana Bentley, manager at Leslie's House, contacted Hillenbrand-Nowicki just a month before the 10th anniversary of the shelter's opening for help updating the space.

Hillenbrand-Nowicki knew which students to call: Lauren Yoder, Maureen Coleman and Emily Kendall, each presidents of interior design clubs on campus.

Together, they secured funding from the International Interior Design Association of the Carolinas, which allowed them to purchase new paint and accessories for the kitchen and living room.

Although each had worked independently in the classroom, learning to communicate and collaborate with group members and community leaders was a valuable learning experience.

"We do a lot of projects and a lot of drawing and drafting, but this allowed us to see the...