Colette R. (IN A NUTSHELL)

Coco is studying Art History as well as English at Brown University. Learning about Art History has completely reframed how she looks at the walls she sees on a day-to-day basis. During her first year at Brown, she signed up for acting, playwriting, and issues in performance studies due to her interest— before she had even decided to declare it as a concentration. Because of this natural pull towards the performing arts department, it only felt natural to pursue a degree in it! 

In 2021, she graduated from Spence, an all-girls school in New York. She began kindergarten at a co-ed school, but felt unsupported as an outspoken young girl in a male-dominated education system. Growing up in a feminist household, Coco found her time at Spence invaluable and empowering—she credits the school’s emphasis on public speaking for allowing her to foster and exercise her unique ability to speak confidently in front of crowds. 

She grew up as a competitive figure skater for ten years and attributes much of her academic and extracurricular success to the discipline she learned within the rink. After her skating career came to an end due to injury, Coco channeled her love of performance through acting in high school. Skating taught Coco discipline—she grew up with 6 am practice being the norm! Skating also allowed her to learn how to work with almost anyone, as she trained with coaches of all different teaching styles and backgrounds. 

At Brown, Coco co-founded and runs the Brown Art Review, the school’s only art dedicated magazine. She can often be found on an Instagram Live interviewing an artist! The Brown Art Review works to highlight both student artists and up-and-coming artists. The mission of the Brown Art Review is to give a platform to marginalized artists who have been pushed aside. At the same time, the magazine often interviews bigger-named artists to make the success of the art world feel accessible to students. She also works for the Ivy Film Festival which presents the largest student run film festival once a year. Coco has also found her place in acting through Brown Motion Pictures, where she participates in student films, both as an actor and an E-Board member where she aids in picking the scripts. An avid movie and TV watcher, she takes humor seriously and tries to sprinkle it into any situation. She can often be found on a long walk while calling her grandmother, exploring the different pastries of Providence, or deep into a Jane Austen novel.