Alumni Spotlight: Anna Bruno ’21

For one Providence Catholic alumna, a love of the arts that grew during her high school years has now become a calling – and a career.

A member of the Providence Catholic Class of 2021 and a native of Frankfort, Illinois, she recently graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and a minor in Education. Now beginning her career as an art teacher, she can trace much of that journey back to the classrooms, music rooms and mentors she encountered at Providence Catholic.

“My time at Providence played a major role in shaping my love for the arts and the career path I’m pursuing today,” she said.

While at Providence, she was heavily involved in the band and music programs, experiences that helped develop her as both a musician and performer. Former band director Lawrence Rogers was among the educators who made a lasting impact.

“He encouraged my love for music and gave me countless opportunities to grow as a musician and performer,” she said. “He also taught me the importance of dedication, teamwork and discipline.”

But it was during those same high school years that she began discovering another creative passion: visual art.

She credits Providence art teacher Denise Zlogar with helping her recognize that art could become much more than a high school interest.

“Her classroom gave me the opportunity to explore creativity outside of music and helped me realize that art was something I wanted to continue pursuing beyond high school,” she said.

Her Providence experience also helped shape the way she viewed the relationship between creativity, identity and faith. She remembers Fr. Rich Young and, in particular, a story he once shared about a little fish searching for the ocean – unaware that it was already surrounded by what it was seeking.

That lesson stayed with her long after graduation.

“He encouraged students to recognize God’s presence in their everyday lives,” she said. “That story has stayed with me and continues to resonate as I think about my faith, identity and the experiences that have shaped me.”

At Benedictine College, she continued to explore those ideas through a variety of artistic mediums. While remaining involved in music and performance, she expanded her work in visual art, particularly photography and printmaking.

Photography became an especially important part of her artistic journey, giving her a way to capture genuine, often fleeting moments while exploring larger themes of identity, memory, faith and the experiences that shape who we become.

She also found a way to bring two of her artistic passions together as a student photographer for Benedictine’s Raven Regiment Marching Band. In that role, she photographed performances, athletic events and campus activities, developing her skills behind the camera while remaining connected to the world of music.

Today, her journey has come full circle.

As she begins her career as an art teacher, she now has the opportunity to provide students with the same kind of encouragement and creative freedom that Providence educators once provided for her.

“The encouragement I received there helped me realize that the arts could become more than something I enjoyed,” she said. “They could become both a career and a way to encourage creativity in others.”

From musician to visual artist, photographer and now educator, her path is a reminder of the lasting impact teachers can have when they give students the opportunity to discover where their talents might lead.

For this Providence Catholic alumna, that discovery began as a Celtic – and now she has the opportunity to inspire the next generation of young artists to make discoveries of their own.