Photo Exhibit Explores Money and College Life

The exhibit, which includes photographs of low-income students holding up written statements about how finances have shaped their experiences, will run through the end of the week.

QuestBridge is a nationwide nonprofit organization that connects promising students from low-income backgrounds to US colleges and universities. College chapters across the country recently held #MoneyMatters events to raise awareness about the struggles faced by low-income and first-generation students, while also promoting class conscientiousness among students at large. 

Nick Suarez ’21, Noelia Calcano ’21, and Maria Perez Mendoza ’21 curated the Quest for Excellence show on campus to shine a light on student stories and to feature thought-provoking personal statements. They said they hope the exhibit will start discussions and help to combat classism on campus.

Last year, the group displayed its first #MoneyMatters photo gallery at 30 College Street. They moved it to Smith Union this year to attract more visitors. “We were looking for something a bit more public this time," Suarez said. "The Blue Gallery works well because people study there; you’re more likely to pass by it. It’s accessible."

Calcano added that she hopes many students check out the photographs. “[We want to try] to reach other students that may not necessarily be part of QuestBridge,” she said. “I can definitely see it as a project that will continue to evolve and attract more and more people."

The photographs in the Blue Gallery depict images of students holding chalkboards with statements describing why money matters to them. When asked why the curators chose photography as a medium, Calcano laughed.

“I think it’s funny because none of us in this group are photographers," she said. "But I think, regardless of whether we’re experts or not, we’ve realized it’s a really good medium to get the message across. You’re able to reach so many different people and touch different parts of campus.”

Suarez added, “It is very impactful to see a familiar face up there on the board with a statement about [their] socioeconomic status. It’s usually something you don’t know about someone."

And having students hold the statements "is important because it humanizes them," Perez Mendoza pointed out.

The installation seemed to resonate with gallery visitor Montserrat Madrigal ’19. “I thought it was a really powerful display," she said. "Class is something that we still aren’t having actual discussions about."

She added, "I‘m a working-class student here at Bowdoin, and you can feel really invisible. So, to see this display, seeing those students in a photo gallery, willing to speak out, it is really inspiring. And I just hope discussions grow from here.”