Joel Ostdiek
Joel Ostdiek, a sophomore, is curious about the influence that the arts have on our lives. He is interested in understanding this impact through the quantitative lens of economics because he has experienced first-hand the qualitative benefits of arts education—from his first violin recital in small town Nebraska to performing in musicals at Notre Dame to teaching music in a Ugandan primary school. He wants to explore music’s capacity for global connection, its potential for economic impact, and why we should even care about a classroom full of first graders playing musical shakers at all.