From design classes to museum leadership: Alumna Izabela Pieniadz shares her journey on Harper Talks

Izabela Pieniadz arrived at Harper College unsure of her academic direction but left with a clear passion for art and design and the confidence to pursue it. On the Harper Talks podcast – in which Harper College alumni share their education, career and life journeys – she talks about discovering her interests in art and design classes and how those experiences helped launch her into roles at the Art Institute of Chicago and, ultimately, as executive director of the Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb.

“It just made sense to come here and figure out what I wanted out of life,” Pieniadz said, discussing her time at Harper. “What I really enjoyed were my Art & Design classes here. I thought they were incredible, and I walked away with so many valuable things.”

Listen to the full episode of Harper Talks and hear the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient discuss how Harper helped her explore her interests, prepared her to transfer to Lake Forest College, and set her on a path to earning dual master’s degrees and leading a historic site.

Harper Talks, a co-production between Harper College Radio and Harper Alumni Relations, features Associate Professor of Mass Communication Brian Shelton in conversation with Harper alumni about the role that Harper played in their lives. You can listen to past episodes of Harper Talks on Harper’s website, WHCM, and on all podcast streaming services, including Spotify and Apple.