Ane Faerovig

profile

At the age of 19, Ane Faerovig hung up her toe shoes after years of studying classical dance at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm. She indulged her love of travel—briefly studying film, literature, and Spanish in Cuba—before enrolling in an interior design college in her hometown of Oslo. “I had always been interested in interiors,” she says, “but dancing didn’t leave room for anything else.” She knew of Parsons by reputation, and visited the school on a trip to New York. “There was no question in my mind—If I was accepted, I would find a way to go.”

Faerovig appreciates the challenges of Parsons at 26 more than she might have at a younger age. “I wouldn’t necessarily have been ready at 18 or 22,” she says, “but now I am old enough to get the most out of it.” In her first semester she led a team of students who collaborated to produce a “first aid kit” for incoming freshmen. The kit was an edition of 500 silk-screened tote bags that contained posters, buttons, stickers, and a booklet to welcome the class of 2013 to Parsons. “I was pushed into a leadership role, which was a new way for me to see myself. It was an amazing experience.”

“Parsons has been awesome,” she says. “The relationship between the professors and the students is close. They want you to succeed, and they really stress process and hard work.”