Block Student Associates 2026-27

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, Student 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

Laurel Anderson

Environmental Engineering and Anthropology (Archaeology Concentration) (2028)

I originally started working with the Block when I was assigned to work with the Block Cinema team in an engineering design course. I was entranced by the enthusiasm of the staff as well as the many ways in which art connects the different areas of our campus. My favorite moments at the Block involve being surprised by what someone else sees in a work of art – I’ve been introduced to so many new perspectives by our wonderful curators, visitors, and my fellow BMSAs.

Claire Gilliam

Art History (2028)

My name is Claire Gilliam, and I am a junior from Nashville, Tennessee, studying Art History, and minoring in Physics and Latin. I first visited the Block during my first art history class at Northwestern, and ever since, I’ve wanted to contribute to the museum and to the campus’s art community as a whole. As a first-year BMSA, I am excited to learn more about the work involved in running the museum, as well as engage with my peers and the surrounding community through the lens of art.

Chung Yu Kwok

Data Science and Classics (2029)

I’m Chung Yu, a sophomore majoring in data science and classics with a concentration in Latin and Greek. I’m originally from Hong Kong, but I’ve lived in London for the past eleven years, making Chicago my third city of residence. I first discovered the Block during my first year seminar, when a BMSA introduced us to the works of Chitra Ganesh. As an avid fan of art, primarily in the forms of film and writing, a lot of the pieces we studied and discussed really resonated with me. I firmly believe that storytelling is the foundation of art, and I’m really excited to explore the kinds of messages that can be exchanged between artists and their audience in the Block.

Isaac Lageschulte

Anthropology (2027)

I’m currently a senior from NYC majoring in Cultural Anthropology, with minors in Business Institutions and Music Composition. I am a third-year BMSA and I am fascinated by processes of communication through language and visual culture. I've worked as a facilitator at the American Museum of Natural History and as a researcher at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. Besides being a BMSA, I am in Northwestern’s Philharmonia orchestra and am on the club baseball team. My favorite museum I have ever visited is La Galleria Nazionale di Parma (The National Gallery of Parma), which I stumbled across while I was studying abroad as a junior. The collections are extensive, covering seemingly every era from prehistory to contemporary art. All that said, my favorite part of the museum was undoubtedly the 17th-century theater that was nested inside the museum itself. Walking through the theaters, libraries, and countless walls of medieval triptychs was an incredible journey through centuries of art and creation.

Faith Magiera

English Literature and Classics - Latin Concentration (2027), BMSA Program & Tours Coordinator

My name is Faith Magiera and I am a senior studying English Lit and Classics. 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 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.

Shreya Malepati

Neuroscience and Anthropology (2029)

I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and am a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience and Anthropology. During my freshman year, I first visited the Block for a class and fell in love with kindling conversations about the stories that art harbors. To me, art is time travel, connecting strangers across years, cultures and lives. The Block remains one of my favorite places on campus, and I can’t wait to help bring these connections to life as a BMSA

Simon Mango

Art Theory & Practice + Cognitive Science (2029)

I am so excited to join this incredible community, to learn from everyone’s experiences and reflections, and to bring others closer to art! In addition to being a BMSA, I am an artist, researcher, plant caretaker, volunteer, gamer, dancer, and an Art Lab Tech for the ATP department. As an artist and people-lover, art is my greatest passion (and, in my opinion, the best thing in the world!) because it is a unique and magical opportunity to experience connection, especially through conversation. In an increasingly isolated world, art can become a bridge to the stranger next to you, and a window into another’s culture and mind. I adore how the Block facilitates such connections through community-centered events. I look forward to meeting and learning about you and your story!

Tori Montinola

English Literature and Legal Studies (2027)

My name is Tori Montinola, and I study English literature and legal studies, 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.

Leila Murray

Manufacturing and Design Engineering (2028)

My name is Leila Murray, and I’m a junior from Ft.Lauderdale, Florida studying Manufacturing and Design Engineering. I believe art allows us to connect with others’ lived experiences while also deepening our understanding of ourselves, which is what drew me to the Block and the BMSA program. One of my favorite quotes by author and poet Ocean Vuong captures this feeling: “In a world as myriad as ours, the gaze is a singular act: to look at something is to fill your whole life with it, if only briefly.”

Rajeshwari Rawal

Journalism & Cognitive Science (2028)

I am a junior from Madison, Wisconsin studying Journalism, Cognitive Science, and IMC. There is a special place in my heart for art history, and I’m so excited to be joining The Block! Northwestern students have so many unique opportunities at their disposal, and The Block’s connection to students and the community serves as a haven for learning and connection for all. As an old film connoisseur, I am particularly excited for The Block’s cinema series this year!

Wallis Rogin

Journalism and History, 2029

I’m Wallis, and I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. As a Student Associate, I’m interested in storytelling and the ways art and culture connect people to their communities. I’m excited to be a part of The Block’s team and learn more about the museum world and its place in the Northwestern community.

Vanya Saksena

Economics and Global Health Studies (2027)

My name is Vanya Saksena (she/her), and I am a senior from Geneva, Switzerland, studying Economics and Global Health Studies. I visited the Block as a part of my Gender Studies class in the fall quarter of my freshman year, and since then, I have been intent on connecting more of the NU community to the amazing exhibitions and events hosted by the museum. I love how the Block supports education, connection, and collective meaning-making, and it has been so gratifying to facilitate conversations about art with students, faculty, and other visitors from the community. Outside of the Block, I work at a global health research lab, lead a songwriting and performing club, and love to play volleyball with my friends.

Alexia Sextou

Journalism and Global Health, 2028

I’m Alexia, a junior pursuing a double major in Journalism and Global Health, with a minor in Art History. I hail from the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, Greece, where I grew up wandering through museum halls, my nose buried in art history books and collections of artwork. The Block has become a special place to me at Northwestern; it has drawn me in with its intricate and wide-ranged collection of prints, welcomed me with its lovely classroom spaces, and, above all, embraced me through the warmest people in its community. Through the BMSA program, I hope to give back to this community as much as it has already given to me.

Alan Silva

Art History and Cognitive Science, 2027

I am a senior from a little village in the Brazilian Northeast called Compra Fiado, and am studying art history and cognitive science at Northwestern. Growing in a culturally effervescent region, my whole life I have been always surrounded, immersed, and engaged with art. I’m a writer, drag queen, makeup artist, and always looking to expand my creativity into other practices. As a first year BMSA I am very excited to engage with other art-passionate people and work together to further enrich this community which finds a home at the Block.

McCall Vickers

Journalism and Black Studies, 2029

I’m McCall and I’m a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have seen the Block on my way to class and attended movie nights. I found the BMSA program through a friend and wanted to contribute to curatorial projects of the museum because I love art. Art is a necessity in human expression and allows people to communicate in a way we all can understand. My favorite museum I have visited has been the National Museum of African American History in DC because I believe it is one of the only museums that emphasizes the role Black Americans play in American history.

Outside of being a BMSA, I am a supervising producer on WNUR News, a lifestyle editor on Black Board Magazine, a Secretary for Northwestern’s National Association of Black Journalist chapter, and a research assistant.

Tyree Walton

Environmental Sciences (2027)

My name is Tyree Walton. I’m a senior from Columbus, Ohio, studying Environmental Science and minoring in Data Science. I am thrilled to return to the Block for a third year leading tours, talks, and workshops, while working alongside my fellow BMSAs. Some of my favorite forms of art include printmaking, fiber arts, and watercolor. I look forward to connecting with my campus and the broader community through honest conversations, exchanging ideas and perspectives

Keisha Widjaja

Biology and Science in Human Culture (2028)

My name is Keisha Widjaja, and I am a junior from Jakarta, Indonesia, studying Biology and Science in Human Culture. Having visited museums since primary school, I have always seen art as a way to build connections, explore new perspectives, and find meaning in the world around me. My studies at Northwestern have taught me to look closely, whilst also encouraging me to think about the broader meanings of what I observe. As a BMSA, I am excited to bring these perspectives together and be a part of a team where different ways of seeing are valued.

Alysa Xia

Art History and Economics, 2029

Hi, I’m Alysa (Yuetong) Xia, a current sophomore studying Art History and Economics. Growing up, I developed a liking for visiting museums. I see them as places of creativity and inclusivity, where I can peek into other artists’ perspectives and worldviews beyond the binary framework of right and wrong that structures reality. Coming to the Block, I look forward to exploring how the Block fosters conversations between different artists and how its curatorial strategies shed light upon the institution’s values within the Northwestern community.