Block Student Associates 2024-25

Block Student Associates serve as tour guides, public facilitators, peer-to-peer ambassadors for the museum on campus, and in-house student advisors for all levels of museum staff and our Board of Advisors.

They lead tours throughout the museum and engage our broad array of campus and community visitors in dynamic conversations about art and ideas that are relevant to our lives today. In addition to this public-facing role, Associates serve as key campus ambassadors for The Block and student advisors for all levels of museum staff and leadership, help to shape programming and projects at the museum, and learn more about museum practice through behind-the-scenes insights and experience.

Learn more about the program

Ethan Bledsoe

Environmental Science (2026)

As someone who has always been passionate about the arts and its power to connect people, I am thrilled at the opportunity to join The Block. What excites me most is engaging with a diverse range of audiences and facilitating meaningful conversations about art and its relevance to our lives today. I am also thrilled about being part of a close-knit community of peer learners and supporters.

Gabby Bliss

Chemical Engineering (2025)

My name is Gabby, and I am a senior studying Chemical Engineering and Data Science. Although I am in Evanston now for most of the year, I call Austin, TX my home. I could not be more grateful for being raised in a city with such a vibrant arts and music scene and have loved continuing to explore the world of art through Northwestern's Block Museum over the past 3 years. I love the inherent collaboration and community of artistic spaces, and especially love unpacking the connection between an artist and the consumers of their work.

Edgar Duvivier Ortenblad Villaca Carvalho

Cognitive Science and Philosophy (2025)

I'm a current senior majoring in Philosophy and Cognitive Science and who calls both São Paulo, Brazil and Berkeley, CA home. What brought me to the Block's BMSA program is an embodied desire to see art with different eyes. I want to be able to discuss and appreciate art from a more informed perspective, and I believe the program’s community-centered approach will help me grow by learning from a diverse range of experiences. To me, art is an expression of character, values, and identity. Even in abstract art, there is emotion to be felt and an argument to be explored.

Keya Soni Chaudhuri

Human Development in Context and Journalism (2027)

I am a second-year from Los Angeles studying Human Development in Context and Journalism with a minor in Spanish (also on a teaching track!). I love making, looking at, and talking about art— it is everything to me. LACMA, a museum in LA, has a special place in my heart. I adore spending time at the Block and other museums because they are such intentional spaces of reflection-- my favorite kind of “Third Space." I’m so excited to be a part of the BMSA program and look forward to growing and building community this year!

Bazil Frueh

Journalism (2026)

I am a junior from Toledo, OH majoring in Journalism and minoring in Art History. As a new BMSA, I am incredibly excited to engage the greater Northwestern community in conversations about the Block's new exhibitions. Outside of the Block, I lead the staff of Northwestern's queer-interest publication CRUSH Magazine, create news packages for WNUR News, and read poetry for Helicon Literary Magazine. I'm so thrilled to learn from and teach others about the Block's expansive collection!

Ann Nguyen Gaither

Philosophy and Political Science (2025)

I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and am a senior majoring in philosophy and political science. The Block has been an important space of reflection for me during my time at Northwestern so I am grateful to have the chance to learn about it through a different lens! I am excited to engage more with museums as spaces of learning and human connection which acknowledge and cut through difference.

Sam Habashy

Journalism and International Studies (2026)

I am a junior from Dallas, Texas studying Journalism and International Studies, and I am so excited for what's in store as a Student Associate at The Block this year! I discovered The Block Museum after attending a documentary screening last winter and I was drawn in by the Block's ability to inspire and connect with the Northwestern community and beyond. I am privileged to be part of a unique platform engaging with a multitude of voices and experiences and hope to seek out the hidden histories that shape our stories. I find especially fascinating the cross between art and religion, and what that looks like when sacred spaces are reimagined as galleries or when galleries take on a sacred atmosphere, sometimes even challenging our preconceptions about religious boundaries. I'm thrilled about the opportunity to grow and learn alongside other student associates!

Symone Harris

Human Development in Context (2026)

I am a junior from Atlanta, Georgia studying Human Development in Context on the pre-med track. Since the beginning of my freshman year at Northwestern University, I felt that The Block was a very special place, and I knew I had to be a part of it. As a Block Museum Student Associate, I am privileged to be part of a team in which we are able to further educate and stimulate conversations in our community about shared emotional and physical experiences through art.

Ashley Kim

Journalism and Asian Languages & Cultures (2027)

My name is Ashley Kim and I’m a sophomore studying Journalism. I grew up in Hong Kong, New York and Philadelphia, all of which are home to some incredible art museums. I’ve always sought to explore new cultures and better understand my own through art, museums have been a happy place throughout my life where one can do just that. As a new student at Northwestern, the Block was one of the first places that felt like home, and I’m thrilled to be part of this team bringing art to life on campus!

Jaharia Knowles

Journalism (2025)

I'm excited to engage in conversations with my peers about art and expand my knowledge of artists of color and non-Western artistic styles!

Isaac Lageschulte

Anthropology (2027)

I’m currently a sophomore from NYC majoring in Cultural Anthropology, with a minor in music composition (and considering more!). I am a first-year BMSA and I am so excited to learn more about art preservation, visitor interactions with art, and visual art in general! I worked at the American Museum of Natural History last summer, and I cannot wait to experience the differences between art and science museums. Besides being a BMSA, I am in Northwestern’s Philharmonia orchestra and am on the club baseball team.

Felipe Reis Maccari

Manufacturing and Design Engineering (2026)

My name is Felipe Reis Maccari, and I am a third-year Northwestern student completing the Manufacturing and Design Engineering major and the Art Theory and Practice minor. Having my product design approach focused right at the intersection of precision and artistry, Duchamp’s “Fountain” is a moment in museums’ history that has always intrigued me — indeed, what determines the thin life between a product and a piece of art? As a Block Museum Student Associate, I am excited to have this and other discussions with the rest of the BMSA community, learn more about the functioning and curacy of the Block, and leverage the presence of art among my friends and classmates on campus.

Faith Magiera

English Literature and Classics - Latin Concentration (2027)

My name is Faith Magiera and I am a sophomore studying English Lit and Classics, and I am so excited to be able to share my passion for the humanities with the Block community! I have always loved visiting museums, and after taking an Art History course my freshman year, I realized that the art world was another way in which I could find a greater understanding of other perspectives and continue to learn how to live a life filled with meaning. When I am not at the Block, I usually play Quizbowl or write for the Northwestern Undergraduate Law Journal.

Rowan McCloskey

Computer Science and Political Science (2025)

I am a fourth-year from Columbus, Ohio studying Computer Science, Political Science, and Dance. The Block is one of my favorite places on campus—from the amazing exhibits, to the wonderful people. This year, I look forward to leading public art talks, facilitating meaningful discussions, and getting the community excited about art!

Tori Montinola

English and History (2027)

My name is Tori Montinola, and I study English literature and history, focusing on medieval manuscripts and writings. I’m also an international student from Manila, Philippines, so I’m quite far from home. I am incredibly excited to be working with The Block Museum here at Northwestern with many talented and passionate people who aren’t afraid to make that known. I’m a big fan of art exploring religion, revolution, and Biblical allegory, so my favorite artists are Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, and Gustave Dore.

Vanya Saksena

Economics and Global Health Studies (2027)

My name is Vanya Saksena, and I am a sophomore from Geneva, Switzerland, studying Economics and Global Health Studies with a minor in Chemistry. I visited the Block and heard about the BMSA program during the fall quarter of my freshman year, and since then I have been looking forward to becoming a part of the Block community! I have always loved the way museums utilize visual art and immersive experiences to educate and inspire their audience, and as a BMSA, I’m super excited to gain experience facilitating conversations about art, and introduce more NU students to the amazing exhibitions and events hosted by the Block.

Meena Sharma

Learning Sciences (2025), BMSA Program and Tours Coordinator

I am a senior studying Learning Sciences, Political Science, and Data Science. This is my third year working at the Block, and one of the things I love about museums like the Block is their constant endeavors toward and their emphasis on community both within and beyond campus. One of my favorite exhibitions was Taking Shape: Abstractions from the Arab World not only because it was the exhibition on view during my first year at a BMSA, but it also exposed me to the plethora of styles found in the Arab world and taught me about how collective meaning-making can take place.

Emily Shen

Economics and Political Science (2026)

I am a junior studying Economics and Political Science with the Business Institutions Minor. As a frequent museum visitor, art is more than color, light, and shadow to me; it carries history, conveys values, and influences generations. Being a part of the Block Museum team gives me the ability to serve as a bridge between artists, curators, and visitors. I look forward to the interactions with visitors when they are on tour with me as we ponder upon the meanings behind the creation and curation of the work in the exhibition, but also to weigh in on our own interpretations of the topics!

Tyree Walton

Environmental Sciences (2027)

I am a Sophomore from Columbus, Ohio studying Environmental Sciences and Data Science. As a student associate, I am excited to connect with the community through a shared interest and love of art. I look forward to facilitating and participating in conversations about art and learning about the museum's behind-the-scenes work!

Roy Zhu

Environmental Science and Creative Writing (2025)

Roy Zhu (they/them) is a senior from Massachusetts studying Environmental Science and Creative Writing. Their favorite Block Museum exhibition so far has been Art, Care, and Ecology: Actions for the Earth. Roy is passionate about poetry and is currently working on a portfolio of poems exploring ecology, waste, and toxic legacies. Their favorite medium of visual art is collage. Roy’s favorite musical artist is Janelle Monae. In their spare time, Roy enjoys plant identification, watching A24 movies with their girlfriend, and getting to know Chicago better. They love to talk about public art and cool plants!