MOSAIC inspires CIA students to step into leadership roles

As a first-generation college student, Emmy Corsaro felt anxious about financial aid and college life when she enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2022.

“Since my dad never went to college, he didn’t really know how to help me,” Corsaro says. “My mom had gone to community college for a little bit, but never graduated or anything, so she didn’t really know how any of this worked either. So it was hard applying for FAFSA and going through all those steps to prepare for college.”

Mia Carter had her own fears. As a Black and gay student enrolling at a majority-white institution, she was afraid she would be judged before people at CIA got to know her.

“I’ve never been one to put myself out there, so to be a part of this program that allowed me to slowly acclimate and not let me get too overwhelmed was so helpful,” Carter says. “I also struggle with asking for help, so to be assigned a person to help and mentor me if I had any questions or problems definitely made a difference. Just thinking ‘Oh, they’re not going to judge me if I ask a stupid question’ really impacted my experience.”

The program to which Carter refers is CIA’s Multicultural Orientation Series for Artists In College (MOSAIC) program. MOSAIC is designed to support historically underrepresented students—such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA and first-generation students—by providing a more personalized orientation as they transition from high school to CIA. And, as Carter mentioned, a key component of MOSAIC is that each participant is partnered with a second-, third- or fourth-year student who serves as a mentor throughout the academic year.

MOSAIC is now in its third year, and by most any metric, it can be considered a success. Perhaps most rewarding is the degree to which students invest themselves in the program. Corsaro and Carter, both first-year mentees, benefitted from and cared so deeply about the program that they were inspired to become MOSAIC mentors.

“Having the opportunity to be both a mentee and a mentor, I’m just highly grateful and thankful for it because it has opened a lot more doors than I could possibly have opened myself,” Carter says. “My communication skills, community skills and empathy have grown because of the MOSAIC program.”

Program beginnings

During a January 2020 meeting of CIA’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Awareness (IDEA) Council, three students expressed concerns that many BIPOC, LGBTQIA and first-generation students felt unprepared, isolated and under-supported when they started at CIA.

Staff and faculty members dedicated the next two years to brainstorming solutions, planning programs and finding creative ways to obtain funds that would establish MOSAIC. The program officially started in August 2022 as the Nunes Scholars pre-orientation program.

MOSAIC is aimed at creating a more intimate and tailored experience for students, helping them build connections and understand campus resources. CIA reaches out to incoming students who might be a good fit for the program and encourages them to participate. Those who take advantage benefit from early move-in and a two-day pre-orientation program—all before other first-year students begin their college-wide orientation.

Each MOSAIC cohort is given an up-close-and-personal look at CIA. Participants attend a dinner to learn about CIA student groups, such as Black Scholars and Artists and the Latinx Heritage and Appreciation Club, and hear directly from student leaders about the importance of community and support. They also engage with CIA faculty and staff during networking events that help them learn more about the College and its community.

Charise Reid, Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services + Chief Inclusion and Equity Officer, has helped lead MOSAIC since its inception.

“The whole point of MOSAIC is to create community for these students so they can feel like they know where to go when issues happen,” Reid says. “Because inevitably, when you go to a college like CIA, as a student of color, it can be overwhelming. These students need a place to ask the questions that they might be afraid to ask anywhere else.”

MOSAIC’s impact

One of IDEA Council’s goals was to structure MOSAIC around closing the socio-economic gap that many first-generation and under-represented students face at CIA.

“MOSAIC is intended to remove barriers for students, and one of the barriers we often saw was the first-year art supply kit that you need,” Reid says.

During those initial program planning meetings, Reid recalled Animation Associate Professor Lincoln Adams ’98 sharing how he couldn’t afford the first-year kit as a CIA student and had to muddle through the academic year. His lack of supplies deeply affected his work and overall experience as a first-year student.

With this experience in mind, the IDEA Council provided the first cohort of MOSAIC students with $250 first-year kits that include art supplies and materials.

After receiving positive feedback from the first two MOSAIC cohorts, first-year kits were provided for all CIA students, and the budget for the kits was redistributed as a scholarship for MOSAIC students.

Initiatives like that help students begin their journey at CIA with greater clarity and focus, leading to stronger academic outcomes. Most recently, students in the 2024–25 MOSAIC cohort averaged an impressive 3.4 GPA during their first semester.

Looking ahead

As MOSAIC evolves, the program plans to expand its recruitment process to bring a wider range of diverse students into the fold and equip them with the support, tools and resources they need to start on the right track at CIA.

Corsaro and Carter—Sculpture + Expanded Media and Painting majors, respectively—agree that focusing on fellowship and engagement throughout the year is imperative to the program’s continued success.

“I remember how nervous I was coming in and it feels nice to be able to relieve some of those anxieties for other people,” Corsaro says of her role as a MOSAIC mentor. “They come to me with problems they’re having, or questions, or fears that they have, whatever. And every time that happens, it’s nice to be able to be that person to alleviate that stress from them.”

Reid believes MOSAIC has played a crucial role in fostering a sense of place at CIA.

“The ultimate goal is to really build community for these students and help them understand that CIA is their school,” Reid says. “It’s a place for them.”

###

MOSAIC support grows

Not only is MOSAIC growing, but so is the support it gets from the philanthropic community. The 2024–25 program received funding from The John Huntington Fund for Education, The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation and Harry K. and Emma R. Fox Charitable Foundation. Their support meant more first-year CIA students—and student mentors—could participate this year and that those mentors could receive more in-depth training for their roles.

###

Photo caption: MOSAIC mentors for 2024–25—including Emmy Corsaro, second from left, and Mia Carter, right—gather for a photo during the fall pre-orientation program. Photo by Kendra Drake ’25.