Student Name: Destiny Kearney

School: Bowdoin College

Major: Africana Studies, Art History and Visual Arts

“My name is Destiny Kearney and I am a senior at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. I’m an Africana Studies, Art History and Visual Arts Interdisciplinary major. Crazy, right? Don’t worry, I’ll explain.

I wanted to attend a school that would challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone, and Bowdoin did exactly that. I was born and raised in NYC…so how exactly did I end up in a small town in Maine? I chose Bowdoin because of the people and the energy I felt when I was there. Being a Black woman at a PWI within itself is a difficult experience to navigate, but the community that I’ve found within this space has made it worthwhile and made me stronger and more vocal. The cold winters were hard, stores close at 7pm, and the lack of city was a lot to get used to, and it all changed me.

I self designed my major to correlate to my research interests. I’ve always wanted to learn about my history because growing up, Black history was never the focus in any curriculum. I combined my curiosity in Africana Studies with my passion as a Visual Artist and created something beautiful. My liberal arts education at Bowdoin has allowed me to do the interdisciplinary work I didn’t think was possible.

At Bowdoin, I work on campus and I am a dancer, an active member in the Black Student Union, a visual artist, a mentor, and a YouTuber. I actually have a YouTube Channel “Destiny Arianna” dedicated to sharing advice for college students and my own college/ life experiences where you can follow my 4 year Bowdoin journey.

I’m thankful for my family’s continuous support, God’s guidance, the professors I’ve met here, the friends who have supported me, the opportunities given, and my overall college experience. Bowdoin has been a tough few years for me but I have grown immensely in my time here.”—@itsdestinyarianna

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