Ryan Miech forms meaningful connections on campus
Ryan Miech ’21, a studio art major with concentrations in graphic design, illustration and interactive media arts, has formed many meaningful relationships and connections at Salve Regina, leading him to valuable and unique pursuits such as community service and the design of a board game.
Finding home through service and community
Miech knew exactly what type of college he wanted to attend: a small school with a good art program that was close to family. Once on campus, he connected with fellow students and his new community through extensive service opportunities.
“I ended up choosing Salve because of the location and also some of the opportunities I got right away with Service Plunge, which is a volunteer experience for new students in the summer,” Miech said. “That was an interest to me, and it really left a positive mark on me.”
As a former service advocate and member of the Mercy in Motion leadership team and Sigma Phi Sigma honor society, Miech aims to care for everyone around him. “Volunteering is an example where people are there to give themselves to someone else,” he said. “That can be an intimate starting point that helps make strong connections with people who are there to give to other people.”
Miech works at a soup kitchen as part of his community service involvement.
Connecting to larger life questions
In his junior year, Miech added something new to his already busy schedule. One of his art classes included an assignment to make a body of artwork where every piece connected with the other. Having been involved in board game design in high school, Miech envisioned merging that skill with the idea of making a body of artwork.
“It is a crazy idea, and it is a lot of work, but I want to make a board game that spans 60 pieces of artwork that compiles a lot of themes,” Miech said. He pitched the idea to his professor, and it took off from there.
The process started with extensive research that established themes such as dreaming, the choices people make, storytelling mythology, fatalism and freewill. Miech created all his own artwork for the game using chalk pastels. After completing the assignment, he decided to revisit the game over the summer of 2020 and has since been working to perfect it.
“One of my rules for myself is that I use no photos and no references to preserve the theme of dreaming,” Miech said. “The players are trapped in a forest, and the goal is to explore it and either get knowledge from spirits and other creatures, then leave the forest. Or if they stay and are too greedy, the forest will collapse on them. So, there is a balance between greediness and risk and reward.”
The game consists of values that Miech holds close, and each piece of his artwork connects to another, but also to the greater meaning of life.
Miech created a board game for an art project in one of his classes.
Authenticity and hard work shine through
Miech’s outlook is focused on making genuine human connections and learning from other people. “I really enjoy being around authentic people,” he said. “Even if they are struggling with their self-identity in some way, they are open about who they are and what they believe. Personal honesty is important for getting close to people and making intimate relationships.”
His unshakeable work ethic didn’t come out of nowhere. “My grandpa is one of my biggest heroes,” Miech said. “He installed in me the ability to work hard and push myself and I am thankful for that.”
Miech said he is most proud of the connections he’s made in the Salve Regina community. “I met a lot of people who I want to stay in contact with for a long, long time,” he said. “It has positively changed my life, and I hope I positively change theirs.”
Article by student writer Samantha Tarbox ’22.
