Humiko Stormer ’22/M.B.A. ’23: Looking forward to a career in art history

Above: Humiko Stormer ’22/M.B.A. ’23 pictured at the ’22 commencement ceremony.

When Humiko Stormer ’22/M.B.A. ’23 signed on to play volleyball at Caldwell University, she was a senior in high school in Luckey, Ohio, and she had never taken an art history class. She ended up taking one at the end of her senior year, and a whole new world of art, history and beauty opened up.

At Caldwell, she declared communication and media studies her major and began her college career as a student-athlete. She also wanted to include art history in her undergraduate studies. After learning of the opportunity to pursue an individualized major, she approached Art History Professor Jennifer Noonan about the feasibility of creating an art history major. Noonan was happy to put the program together and guide Stormer.

“My art history classes have been the most rewarding I have taken throughout my academic career here at Caldwell. I had the opportunity to learn about art across so many different cultures and time periods,” said Stormer, who earned her undergraduate degrees in communication and media studies and art history in 2022 and her M.B.A. in 2023. She is grateful to Noonan for opening up doors, supporting and inspiring her. “Major props to her! I am well prepared for my future.”

Stormer is grateful for her engaging academic courses and enriching internships. While an undergraduate, she interned at the Mueller Gallery on campus, working with Gallery Director and Art Studio Professor Suzanne Baron. Thanks to Baron’s assistance, Stormer interned at a gallery in New York while studying for her M.B.A. “My M.B.A. definitely helped me to develop financial, marketing and entrepreneurial skills that could help me to be more successful in navigating different sectors of the art world,” said Stormer, who aspires to become a curator.

Other highlights at Caldwell included playing volleyball all five years. “I had the best experiences and memories … I will definitely miss it.”

Another highlight of her Caldwell academic career occurred this year when she traveled to Paris through the University’s short-term study-abroad history and art history excursion. It was “an incredible experience,” said Stormer, recalling how she wrote on her application several years ago that she most wanted to visit the Louvre. After three years of COVID delays, her dream came true. “I had spent quite a few years learning about pieces housed in the Louvre and about its significance as a cultural institution, so to finally visit in person was almost surreal. Everything was much grander in person, and it really felt like I was seeing so much history.”