BRIGHT INSTALLATION   

When Penn State Harrisburg launched the Humanities Art Connect Initiative last year, the School of Humanities tapped Brinkman to be its first featured student artist. Her “Introducing Me” collection—15 original watercolor paintings and ink pieces—decorated the chancellor’s hallway in the Olmsted Building for the fall 2025 semester. Some of her artwork included uplifting childhood nostalgia, from gym parachutes to ice cream trucks. Says Brinkman: “Everyone can look at it, be happy, and then go about their day.”

FIRST-GEN FEELINGS        

“It’s an honor to be the first person in my family to go to college,” says the junior-to-be, adding that she wants to set an example for her siblings. Helping her flourish are adviser Maggie Ntonados and associate teaching professor of physiology Brenna Hill.  

HEALTH CARE IN HERSHEY    

In November, as part of Penn State Health’s student shadowing program, Brinkman observed a variety of plastic surgery cases in the clinical setting and operating room at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. While there, she saw the daily demands of plastic surgeons. 

 

DRAWING FROM EXPERIENCE       

Combining her passions for medicine and art, Brinkman is considering a career in medical illustrations after she graduates in 2028. “You’re breaking down information into easier-to-understand images,” she says. (Brinkman even sketches concepts in her notebooks to study for classes like anatomy.) This work benefits students learning procedures in medical textbooks, researchers explaining their abstract discoveries, and more.

PERSUASIVE POSTERS           

Brinkman took first place in last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. poster contest organized by Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Humanities. Her piece featured a watercolor portrait of King and a selected quote to resonate in today’s climate: “Yes, it is love that will save our world and civilization, love even for enemies.”