The Happy Fernandez Leadership Prize is awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities during their time at Moore. The endowed prize is named after Happy Fernandez, who served as president of the College for 13 years and had a particular focus on developing leadership programming, scholarships and fellowships.
This year's recipient is Janelle Cray ’25, an Illustration major from Chicago, Illinois. Cray will return to Chicago after graduation to begin a guest services internship at University Center, where she’ll build on the leadership skills she developed at Moore.
Join us on Saturday, May 10 at 11 am at Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for Moore’s 176th Commencement to celebrate the Class of 2025 and recognize award recipients.
Why did you choose to come to Moore?
I really liked the community and space here. Compared to other schools that offer drawing or painting, I liked that Moore offered Illustration specifically. Those things really drew me in.
What does it mean to you to be selected as the winner of this year’s Happy Fernandez Leadership Prize?
Winning this award validates a lot of my experiences in leadership roles at Moore—as a resident assistant, a student ambassador and an orientation leader with Student Affairs. It made me feel proud of all my accomplishments, and it’s awesome to be recognized by others.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments from your time at Moore?
I’m from Illinois, so I knew that if I wanted to go to school away from my family and friends, I had to get out of my comfort zone. I’m most proud of how I was able to come out of my shell and grow as a person through my leadership roles at Moore.
I loved being a leader at Moore because the community is supportive and student-focused. Everyone’s always willing to help. The people at Moore listen to their students, which I really appreciated.
What are your career plans after graduation? How did Moore prepare you for your goals?
After graduation, I’ll be using my leadership skills as a guest services intern with University Center in Chicago. My experience as a resident assistant at Moore directly applies to this role. After that, I’d like to be a studio assistant to a painter and start my own freelance career.
For my required internship, I completed a Unique Experiential Learning Opportunity (UELO) through Moore with illustrator James Bennett as my mentor. It helped prepare me for what employers expect in the workplace.
Faculty members at Moore are also artists actively creating new work, and it was helpful that they understand what we’re going through. Having a community of artists like this gave me more confidence to pursue what’s next.
What is your advice for current and future Moore students?
I know it can feel scary to put yourself out there but be confident in yourself and hone your skills. If you have a specific niche, lean into it. Be open to growth because you never know where it could take you.
Moore College of Art & Design is the only independent art and design college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Want to learn more about the Illustration major at Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We'd love to tell you more!
