Oliver Walker self-portrait
Oliver Walker knew he wanted to be an artist by the time he was old enough to hold a paintbrush in his hand. His education at SMCC is providing a springboard to help him achieve that goal.
Drawn to SMCC in part by its art program, Oliver is slated to graduate in May with a near-perfect GPA and a degree in Liberal Studies-Art Concentration. He will attend Maine College of Art next fall after earning a prestigious MECA Presidential Scholarship that will cover a large portion of his education costs there.
At SMCC, Oliver has been impressed at how welcoming all of his instructors have been, and he’s appreciated being able to explore new interests. He didn’t know anything about art history when he arrived at SMCC, but he likes it so much now that he plans to make art history his minor — and illustration his major — at MECA.
Oliver enjoys all things art, from painting, drawing and illustration to pottery and digital illustration. After completing his degree at MECA, he hopes to become a concept artist, creating illustrations that convey ideas or themes for use in films, video games, comic books and other media.
Oliver arrived at SMCC in 2019 after completing high school through an online home-school program. While in high school, he earned six credits at SMCC through the Maine Community College System’s Embark program that allows high school students to get a jump-start on their college careers.
“My favorite part of SMCC has been the teachers. All the teachers I met and took classes with were some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’ve also learned to do things because you’re passionate about them, and not just for a grade. That’s a big thing I’ve gotten out of SMCC.”