This week, we meet Lacey Den Hartog, a senior studying art, emergent digital practices and religious studies. She was born in China but was adopted and then raised in Denver. Den Hartog is approachable and undeniably a people person. She even said of her favorite thing about DU, “I love the people. Honestly, the people keep me here. If it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be here just because it’s so expensive.”

Den Hartog highly values diversity and said, “The most important thing I’ve learned while at DU is that there is a wide variety of people, and I will not always get along with them or agree with them, but that’s ok. You just have to learn how to listen.”

She is a proud Pio- remembering her favorite memory at DU, she recalled, “When we won the lacrosse championship in 2015, I think it was a great celebration of our school and our camaraderie.”

I asked her who her favorite professor is and she responded, “That’s really tough. I’ve really only had one EDP professor, Bill Depper, and he’s amazing. I really like him; he’s a good professor. He just knows so much good stuff about what he’s teaching. I’ve also really liked all the studio professors in the art department. They’re all nice, encouraging and good at what their focus is. I admire their work, too.”

She is a talented artist who enjoys painting and drawing, but her favorite medium is photography. Den Hartog is currently working on a Portrait project for an art class at DU in which she documents various individuals’ religious journeys and identities.

I was fortunate enough to be a subject of the project, and I can say that her silent, subtle way with the camera was captivating.

After graduation she does not know what she wants to do, but she knows she wants to continue photography as a career or just a hobby, whether that be in sports, news, portraiture or something else she has not yet anticipated.

Finally, I asked her what she would say if she could describe herself in three words. “I would say patient, optimistic and kind- well, at least trying to be.”