As the computer and electronics industry is on the rise in the Silicon Valley, the digital economy continues to attract students like Emanuela Quaglia, whose greatest aspiration is to work independently in all things concerning multimedia.

Quaglia, an international student at CSU East Bay, said she arrived in California from Florence, Italy five years ago where she studied theatre at the Academy of Dramatic Art. There she appeared in many performances and later became manager as she started producing her own shows in different cities throughout Europe.

Quaglia said she enjoyed producing her own shows, but while working on the production she realized she didn’t know anything about technology.

“I was always paying someone else to do the work. It was very hard for me to understand if what they were doing was being done the right way,” said Quaglia. “I wanted to understand how to use technology so I could work more independently with audio, videos, images and graphics, but I knew it was also a very expensive thing to get into.”

Although Quaglia was eager to find new possibilities in the U.S., she also saw the risk in dropping everything familiar.

“When you have everything already in another country like your work, family and other things and you leave it out of the blue, you are really afraid that you will not find anything, yet you spend all your money to go.”

Quaglia’s arrival to the U.S. began with a flight to San Francisco where she befriended a woman who happened to be an employee at the College of San Mateo.

“We started to chat a little bit, and because I started to talk to her about the fact that I was looking for a university to go see, she started talking about her university and said I could go visit and see that campus,” said Quaglia. “The college was fantastic, and its department of multimedia and broadcasting was really full of high technology; I just fell in love with that.”

Quaglia says due to the College of San Mateo’s technological advancements, she immediately started working to get her student visa and later registered to the college.

“At the beginning I just thought, I’ll take a few classes to just get some basic learning, I was not expecting to get any degree because I had my life in Italy, I had my job, everybody,” said Quaglia. “But as soon as I started taking classe, I really loved it and I got so involved in the school life. I started a few clubs, and later started working in the broadcasting department, then to the multimedia department because they also needed someone there.”

As an international student Quaglia was being paid 20 hours a week to work with students and assist them with class assignments, but says it wasn’t nearly enough to support herself.

“I basically support myself by going to Italy and working for some months, then come back and go to school here,” said Quaglia adding that she spends $7,000 every 11 weeks for school and pays for rent, bills and flights back and forth from Italy on top of that.

After devoting her hours to the College of San Mateo and receiving three associates degrees, Quaglia is now finishing up her education at CSUEB with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in three areas of concentration: multimedia, photography and traditional art.

“It’s kind of a second phase of my life here since I already have a life in Italy and I have already gotten degrees, but I think it’s partly because of my devotion to myself, my school and my studies that I have done well here,” said Quaglia who is graduating in June with a 3.96 GPA, awarding her the honor of magna cum laude.

Quaglia said that although the College of San Mateo introduced her to art, coming to CSUEB opened opportunities for her in the world of fine arts.

“The professors here taught me a lot about the concept that is behind a piece of art like the world history, literature, the mind,” said Quaglia. “When the art is able to connect with people and transfer the energy to the viewer, it means there is a vocabulary behind it. It is not just putting two pieces together, but the vocabulary coming from it is so rich.”

Quaglia’s newfound understanding of art displayed in her recent art show depicting the effects of global warming on people and the environment. Through the use of paints and digital photography, she connected viewers on a more personal level, said Quaglia.

“I know global warming is something so big and so hard, but I do think that in the same way that people talk about women’s rights. It’s something impossible but history proves that when more and more people care and do something about it then things can change,” said Quaglia.

While she was learning to convey a message through her art, Quaglia says her art professors were very encouraging and had positive attitudes that contributed highly to her success.

“They are really 24 hour professors more or less. To feel that a professor supports you, is really a starting point especially in the world of art,” said Quaglia.

As she looks onto her future endeavors in the art world, Quaglia says she is not looking to join a company like many of her other classmates.

“I think there are many, many job opportunities for people in fine arts, but I want to be free to do what I feel because I think we just have one life and we have to live our truth,” said Quaglia. “I would like to create some collaborations with others by joining organizations that can help me as well as me helping them.”

In the near future, Quaglia hopes to pass on her multimedia knowledge and artistic ideas to the residents of Cuba seeing as the majority of people there do not have access to internet and due to government censorship, cannot express themselves in anyway she says.

“Internet is only in the big hotels,” said Quaglia. “My goal is to get 20 computers to Cuba and give people the opportunity to learn multimedia skills and in the meantime give them the option to write their thoughts, life issues and living issues. When I come back from Cuba, I can publish a report about these people.”

Quaglia says she feels a duty to help her planet and the people who live in it, which is part of the reason why she has taken on such issues as global warming and the social justice issues that currently ensue in Cuba.

“I’m really glad I took the risk of coming to the U.S. because in the end, when you follow what you feel and have good behavior towards others, I don’t think you will ever lose anything,” said Quagloia.