Three Students Honored With The Christopher Darling Memorial Scholarship

On Friday, April 21, 2023, three students in the School of Visual Communication were honored by being chosen as recipients of The Christopher Darling Memorial Scholarship. Students Leilanie Biere, Alex Miller and Melina Tripoli were joined by other scholarship winners announced that day. They were personally given their scholarship awards by members of the Darling family.

“I always found Christopher’s work inspiring and meaningful. I love that this scholarship captures and celebrates Christopher’s commitment to using his many talents for social good.” -- Amy Reynolds, Dean of the College of Communication and Information

The Christopher Darling Memorial Scholarship was created by Darling's family after his death in June of 2018 and funded through an outpouring of support from his friends, his former students, his work colleagues, associates and others who knew him. A freelance artist for many years, Darling received his MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and taught at Queens College (NYC) before beginning his teaching career at Kent State University in 2014. His art was commissioned by Sony, the United Nations, The New Yorker and the New York Museum of Natural History, among others. 

He received awards and was honored by The Society of Illustrators for both his Cleveland drawings and the Hough Mural. As an artist, he was a champion of social justice. His own murals portrayed themes of diversity and emancipation, often surrounding infant mortality among minorities and immigration. The spring before he died, he managed an art show at Kent State featuring the work of incarcerated artists. Darling was a much loved teacher and colleague.

Daniel Alenquer, Director of the School of Visual Communication Design said, “The Christopher Darling Memorial Scholarship provides illustration students who aspire to pursue their creative passions with financial support and academic recognition. By acknowledging the impact of the scholarship, we can express our gratitude to the Darling family donors, and mentors who make it possible and inspire other students to follow their dreams.”

The students who received the scholarship appreciated the opportunity it gave them to further their studies,  the support it will provide in the coming year and the recognition of their work.

Melina Tripoli, a junior from Pittsburgh majoring in visual communication design had this to say: "I started college in the middle of COVID after I had just graduated high school through a computer screen. It’s been tough in many different ways, but having the support of numerous people -- family, friends, and even strangers -- has made it better than I could’ve thought. 

"It truly means a lot to me that I was awarded this scholarship and how much it’ll help me during my last year studying at Kent State. As many people who’ve gone through college know, anything helps and makes a difference. Not only does this help me financially, but I’m so happy to know that people enjoy what I’ve been making during and outside of class for the last 3 years. Knowing that pushes me to want to keep learning, creating, and making designs people will enjoy!"

Sophomore Alex Miller, who is also majoring in visual communication design with a minor in photography expressed similar feelings. He said, "I am honored to be a recipient of the Christopher Darling Memorial scholarship. This scholarship will have a significant impact on my academic and professional journey. With the support provided by this award, I will be able to devote more time to my studies, investing in developing my skills and knowledge in the fields of design and photography.
 
"Christopher Darling's legacy as a gifted artist and passionate advocate for social justice has been an inspiration to me. I am honored to receive this scholarship in his memory, and I hope to carry on his legacy by using design to promote positive change in society.
 
"This award is a great honor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue my academic pursuits while honoring the legacy of such an inspiring individual."

You can see some of Christopher Darling's work on his website.

Below are two samples of two of the scholarship winners' work for their classes.