While many would struggle to find any relation between Biology and Studio Art, senior Kory Kolis is a testament to the liberal arts education as he’s taken an interest in both. He’s found his own way to contribute to the two majors.
“Kory represents the quintessential Gustie, which is a true liberal arts student who has majors and real passions in two different divisions of the College (natural sciences and fine arts). He is a positive role model for everyone,” Professor and Chair of Physics Steven Mellema said.
He’s finally arrived at a point in his education in which the two disciplines have come together nicely. Things are starting to slow down, but the journey wasn’t easy for Kory.
“He’s had to work extremely hard the past few years to make his double major work, overloading a few semesters and getting permission to take several courses out of order. I have seen how much dedication he’s put into his education here at Gustavus and how driven he’s been,” Senior Cami Andersen said.
Even though his time at Gustavus has been an uphill battle in order to maintain his double major, Kory has been able to sustain a light-hearted enthusiasm for his experience.
“He is so quirky. Life is not heavy, but light-hearted and fun for him. So many things fascinate him like art, ecology, genetics, and much more. He just has a joy and fascination with life,” Senior Michelle Hulke said.

Kory has found that he’s been able to remain happy through all of the hard.
“I think it’s very important to spend your time doing what you enjoy because for me, double majoring and always loaded with five or more credits a semester, I was only able to do it because I was positive that I loved it. This makes it easy to be willing to commit all of the time to it,” Kory said.
On top of his light-heartedness, Kory also combines many other traits, which propel him in his success.
“Kory possesses generosity of time and spirit. He is good humored and laughs a lot. He can be self-deprecating, but it belies a real seriousness. He is creative, curious, multi-talented and prepared. These traits allow him to innovate in science and art. He is driven to learn and thrives when he can learn by doing,” Professor in Biology and Environmental Studies Pamela Kittelson said.
Most notably he utilizes his curious mind to explore and analyze questions between biology and art, especially when creating his pieces.
“One of the most impressive characteristics Kory has is that he is not afraid to fail and because of that he takes risks and remains loyal to the process without getting overly controlling about the end product. He treats every experience as a learning experience for the next one. I haven’t seen him fail yet,” Lowe said.
After graduating from Gustavus, Kory has already lined up a job as a lab manager in Houston, Texas, an adventure he has mixed feelings toward.
“In the same way that anyone is nervous about a sudden change, I’m nervous to figure out aspects of my life, like finding an apartment and other stressful aspects, but at the same time I’m also extremely excited,” Kory said.
In the meantime, he’s enjoying the fruits of his labor at Gustavus. One of his pieces is featured in the senior art show in the Hillstrom Museum which he urges people to check out before the end of the year. The piece has even been purchased by Gustavus, an accomplishment that had been one of his main goals since beginning his art major.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing how he’s developed as an artist over the past three years. I was able to see his pieces in the Hillstrom this weekend at the senior art show and I was blown away by the amount of time and talent that has gone into his work. I’m very proud of all he’s accomplished and I’m excited for his work to continue to develop. I know that he will go on to do some pretty awesome things,” Andersen said.

-Jaurdyn Dobler