Get to Know the Speakers and Musical Performer Who Will Present at the Ceremony for the Departments of Art and Design.
Crystal Callison is an art major. As a freshman, she began working toward a degree in music. She had to take a nine-year break from her education, and during that time she experienced a loss that motivated her to transfer to BYU, eventually making the change to art. After graduation, she plans to keep creating work based on the questions she is still working through as a mother of six children, including children with disabilities. She says she hopes to involve her children in that process while also applying to residencies, exhibiting her work and eventually working toward a master’s degree.
What is your favorite course you have taken?
This is such a difficult question because I have enjoyed every course in the arts department but especially Digital 3D: Sculpture with Digital Tools, Time-Based Media, Photography, Painting and Printmaking.
What is one experience you think everyone in your major should try to have before graduation?
I think experiential learning is important for everyone in my major. It gave me the chance to go to a place I never thought I would see and helped me build a deeper connection to it and my ancestors. Being in Mexico, the land of my ancestors, allowed me to reflect on their lives and even create work in that space, which felt very different from making art where I live now, far from family.
Describe your BYU experience in five words or less.
Life changing.
What do you feel is your biggest takeaway from your education?
Art became a training ground to practice and prepare for the challenges of life. When I am confronted with an unknown future, I can be confident that I will have what I need to move forward, no matter what hardships I encounter.
Can you give us a teaser for your presentation?
I will be sharing how my life experiences — losing my father, raising children with disabilities and navigating the unexpected — led me to art as a way to process what feels overwhelming. It is about learning to trust the process, even when nothing feels certain.
What inspired your speech topic?
My speech comes from learning how to sit with the unknown. A lot of my work is shaped by loss, grief, memory, motherhood, absence and presence, and this piece reflects how creating has helped me make sense of things I do not fully understand.
One of the most important things about a BYU education is the intertwining of the intellectual and the spiritual. How has that kind of education impacted you?
Before BYU, I always felt like I was not spiritual enough, but I have come to realize that spirituality does not have to be didactic. It shows up in everyday moments, especially in the process of making.
How have you seen divinity within your craft while studying here at BYU?
I have seen divinity in the process of making, especially when I am working through things I do not fully understand. There are moments where something comes together in a way I did not plan, and that feels like more than just me.
Liz Bodell is a graphic design major. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in graphic design and get a cat.
What is your favorite course you have taken?
Alternative Processes, which is a course within the design program. Because most of my work is digital, I loved taking a class centered on analog craft. I learned to knit, screenprint, experiment with analog motion, create decorative hangers and design custom woodblock type.
What is one experience you think everyone in your major should try to have before graduation?
I think every graphic designer should explore some form of industrial design or product making. Graphic design draws from a wide range of artistic disciplines, and transforming visual thinking into something tactile and three-dimensional (exclusively outside of the screen) is a valuable way to expand that practice. Applying graphic and digital skills to objects that live beyond the screen strengthens material sensitivity and form. I have seen many designers create products that I would genuinely want to bring into my own home.
Describe your BYU experience in five words or less.
Diet Coke every day.
What do you feel is your biggest takeaway from your education?
My biggest takeaway from my education has been the people I have met. Being surrounded by others in your major creates a space where you constantly learn from one another through conversations, critiques and simply seeing how everyone approaches design differently. I have learned just as much from my classmates as I have from any project, and those perspectives will stay with me throughout my career. Building friendships within my education has shaped how I think, work, and act.
Can you give us a teaser for your presentation?
A zine is a small booklet, like a tiny magazine.
What inspired your speech topic?
A big inspiration for what I wanted to talk about is the idea of continual learning. The people that I have looked up most to in my education have been those that keep learning, no matter how established they are in their field.
One of the most important things about a BYU education is the intertwining of the intellectual and the spiritual. How has that kind of education impacted you?
I feel very grateful for my education here at BYU. I have benefited from the small spiritual thoughts professors have shared in class and through email. It is a unique experience to blend education, profession and faith within one setting, and it can be a delicate balance. For me, though, some of my best work has come when I have invited God into the process. Creation feels like a divine quality we have inherited from Him, and engaging in it helps me feel closer to Him, almost like we share the same passion.
How have you seen divinity within your craft while studying here at BYU?
That sense of divinity has not always been explicit in my work, but more of an underlying current guiding how I think and approach my craft. It has shaped the way I see my future, too. I hope to carry that perspective with me professionally, allowing faith to quietly inform my work and the way I create.
Abby Spears is an art education major (K–12) with a minor in physical education. After graduation, she plans to teach art full-time beginning in the upcoming school year. She says she also looks forward to remaining actively involved in community art programs and continuing to pursue opportunities to create and exhibit her own artwork.
What is your favorite course you have taken?
My favorite class at BYU was Art 210: New Genre and Interdisciplinary Projects, taught by Marissa Albrecht. I felt that I grew the most in this class, as it gave me the freedom to explore ideas. I was eager to try and experiment with new approaches with very few limitations. I also learned a great deal from my peers, whose projects were inspiring and have stayed with me.
What is one experience you think everyone in your major should try to have before graduation?
One experience I think everyone in my major should have before graduating is participating in experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom, such as attending art education conferences like NAEA or UAEA, joining trips like the New York Art Trip or studying abroad. While I was not always selected for every opportunity, applying and participating whenever I could was incredibly valuable. These experiences allowed me to connect with peers, stay current with what is happening in the world of art and gain new perspectives. They also sparked new ideas and creativity, helping me expand on what I was learning on campus in meaningful, real-world ways.
Describe your BYU experience in five words or less.
Learning fueled deeper human understanding.
What do you feel is your biggest takeaway from your education?
My biggest takeaway from my education has been the impact of new experiences. Studying abroad in Fiji, where I lived in a village with a host family and learned about their daily life, culture and art traditions, was especially meaningful. It taught me to step outside my comfort zone, keep an open mind and see the world from different perspectives, which has really shaped my empathy and understanding of others.
Can you give us a teaser for your presentation?
I will be talking about jeans, but also why I believe art is so important in our world and how it has impacted me.
What inspired your speech topic?
My speech was inspired by reflecting on how my time studying at BYU has shaped who I am and what I value. As I prepare to graduate, I have been thinking about the biggest takeaways from my education, especially how my relationships with peers have influenced me. Through those connections, I have realized how important community is to me and how art can be a meaningful way to build connection and deepen understanding with others.
One of the most important things about a BYU education is the intertwining of the intellectual and the spiritual. How has that kind of education impacted you?
Growing up, I was in a community very different from BYU, and one of the main reasons I came here was to learn alongside others who shared similar religious values. That experience has been incredibly meaningful, allowing me to explore spiritual ideas not just in religious settings but also through my art and daily life. Studying in an environment where the intellectual and spiritual are intertwined has helped me see that different parts of my life can come together in a cohesive way.
I have learned that everyone’s relationship with God looks different, and creating art inspired by spiritual impressions has been both inspiring and healing, helping me see myself and others more the way Heavenly Father might — with compassion and understanding. This education has shaped my perspective and creative process in ways I deeply value.
Jerah Chino is an illustration major who has always planned on being an artist. After graduating, she plans to find a job and pitch her book to publishers.
What is your favorite course you have taken?
Environment Design.
What is one experience you think everyone in your major should try to have before graduation?
I think going to conferences or conventions is a really fun way to meet other creators and learn about art.
Describe your BYU experience in five words or less.
Long, difficult, but worth it.
What do you feel is your biggest takeaway from your education?
I have learned a lot about my style, grown my skills and developed a deeper love for art!
Can you give us a teaser for your presentation?
It is something that can help graduates who feel creatively burnt out.
What inspired your speech topic?
I do not know that one specific thing inspired my speech, but rather a lot of experiences I have had at BYU.
How have you seen divinity within your craft while studying here at BYU?
I think creativity is a divine talent, and when we grow and exercise that talent we are making Heavenly Father proud.
Lillie Gardner is a flute performance major. Upon graduating, she plans to attend law school. She says music will always be a part of her life, even as she plans to pivot to law for her career, a shift she believes she has been uniquely prepared for while earning her degree in music.
What is your favorite course you have taken?
I have loved all my ensemble classes, including band, orchestra and small ensembles like quintets! I also loved World Religions, Pickleball, Econ 110 and Floral Design.
What is one experience you think everyone in your major should try to have before graduation?
I think everyone should try to travel in some way with BYU. That may be through a performing arts tour, a conference or convention presentation or a study abroad program. I got to go to Korea with the BYU Wind Symphony, as well as San Antonio and Chicago to present at conventions. I will be going to Ohio this summer to present at another convention. All of these experiences have been fantastic.
Describe your BYU experience in five words or less.
Learning, growth, exploration and joy.
What do you feel is your biggest takeaway from your education?
I have learned and experienced so much at BYU. I think the most valuable things I have learned are how much I enjoy and want to always pursue learning, and how you can make almost anything fun and exciting with the right attitude.
Can you give us a teaser for your presentation?
Two words: beatbox flute.
What inspires you about the piece you will be performing?
I am performing a contemporary piece that pushes the limits of the flute, and it is so fun to see what unconventional things you can really do if you explore outside the box!
One of the most important things about a BYU education is the intertwining of the intellectual and the spiritual. How has that kind of education impacted you?
I enjoy seeing how different professors include gospel topics in their teaching. Many of my professors weave gospel teachings into their lectures so seamlessly, and it inspires me to live my religion in my daily life so I direct people to Jesus.
How have you seen divinity within your craft while studying here at BYU?
Creation, creativity and focus are Christlike attributes that are becoming fewer and farther between in this age. Studying music and learning how to be creative and focused has helped me come closer to Jesus Christ, and has helped me in my journey to be like Him.
CFAC Convocation Information | April 24, 2026
Concert Hall | Music Building
Communications | 9:00 a.m.
Dance, Music and Theatre and Media Arts | 12:00 p.m.
Art and Design | 3:00 p.m.