Set Your Path Spotlight: Damian Saunders '96

"For me, Sanford’s motto, 'No talent lies latent,' rings true. Sanford School helped me discover a hidden talent for the arts that had always been there–just like the great Michelangelo said about his famous marble statues. The beauty was already inside the marble; I was just lucky enough to unveil it for people to admire what was always there. Sanford was my Michelangelo, allowing me to shine and share my love for painting with others.

 

When I was in the Upper School in the ’90s, Sanford had art majors, and I was an art major my junior and senior years. The moment I knew art was going to be a big part of my life was when people outside of the art building started taking notice of my paintings and wanted to buy them. For example, my French teacher, Madame Solan, commissioned me to create a painting for her husband, a chef, when I was in 10th grade. I also had the opportunity to apply for the Scholastic Art Awards, and my senior year, I won the highest honors: a regional Gold Key and a national Hallmark Award! To put it in perspective, that’s like Sanford’s basketball teams winning the state championship in the arts sphere! If I could go back and tell my younger self something today, it would be this: Failure only happens when you stop trying. There will be roadblocks and hurdles throughout life, but keep going! You are writing your own story!

 

My Sanford School experience helped me write that story, positioning me to catapult my success in the art world and beyond. Returning to Sanford School to help with the Artists Collective at Sanford is so special. It’s a full-circle moment in my life. 

 

The Sanford School community helped make me into the man I am today. I love giving back to Sanford because Sanford gave so much to me through my education, my love for the arts, and the community I found here."

-Damian Saunders '96