Alumni Spotlight: Mia Romanik ’96

[FULL STORY]

Mia Romanik ’96 likes to begin her day as many of us do, with coffee in hand, poring over the day’s new emails. She may just as easily start the day in a gallery in London, conceptualizing an artistic theme of a mansion in California, or attending an art fair in Mexico City. Her work as an art advisor takes her all over the country and halfway around the world. Mia’s journey began right here at Newman.

As a student, Mia wanted to be an artist. She looks back fondly at the attention and encouragement that she received from one Newman faculty member in particular. “Ruth Mullen was one of my favorite teachers at Newman, and I am very sad to hear of her loss. It was Miss Mullen who was always telling me that I was talented. When I was painting, Miss Mullen would exhibit my paintings in the hallway – that always meant a lot to me,” she says.

Beyond the specific encouragement of her artistic skills, Mia credits the School with giving her a solid college-preparatory education and establishing a strong work ethic that has served her well in the years since high school. “It was such a well-rounded experience. I feel like having left Newman, you knew how to finish a project, to complete a job. You weren’t allowed to get away with anything.”

At the same time, she appreciated the nurturing and supportive environment that allowed her to be herself. “It was being part of a family,” she says. As a 13-year Greenie, Mia was part of the Newman family from kindergarten through high school. She adds, “Being there for as long as I was, you felt a sense of comfort and familiarity… and importance. I think it helped me be more confident. Looking back at the experiences I had and the people that were there, supporting you and encouraging you, it does shape who you are.”

When she left for college, Mia had dual – and dueling – dreams of being either an artist or investment banker. However, her business sense clued her in early on that neither of these paths was exactly the right fit for her. So she went a third way: she could meld her knowledge of art with her business acumen to create her own path. “I was able to take a combination of my strengths and build them up into something that enables me to do what I do now,” says Mia.

From there, Mia committed herself to a career in helping others develop their art collections. “One of the reasons that I have been able to do this so well is probably an understanding of art as an investment combined with an understanding of what my client’s tastes are, and then figuring out which artists they will respond to. In a sense, I feel that having a bit of an interior design background has enabled me to match up people with art in a way that others might not be able to.”

But while skills are important, it is Mia’s work ethic, instilled early in her life, that helps her the most. “What I can most attribute my success to is working hard. I think there are certain skills I have or that I was born with, such as a photographic memory, which has certainly helped me. But I have put so much time into this: blood, sweat, and tears,” she says. Now she has a burgeoning business in art consultation that lets her travel internationally, catch the latest trends in the arts, and identify new and exciting artists on their way up.

Mia represents a fine example of how the School’s alumni move on to become leaders in their fields. Newman’s commitment to excellence instills its students with the desire to succeed and the tools to achieve their goals.

Mia Romanik splits her time between New York and Florida. If you would like to know more about her business or contact her, you may visit her website, at www.miaromanik.com.