“I’ve actually been through five majors,” Tucker Schoneberg said with a laugh, counting the various paths he explored before finding his artistic voice in visual arts at the University of North Dakota.
Long before college, photography was already part of Schoneberg’s life. As a high school freshman, he began taking photos at sporting events for players, parents, and the yearbook, in addition to entering photography contests. When he first arrived at UND, however, he did not plan on pursuing a career in photography. Schoneberg initially intended to study aviation and later explored the sciences, including pre-med, inspired by his father who works as a family physician. Those academic explorations ultimately helped him understand his true interests and pointed him toward the visual arts program after he took a few classes with photography professor Suzanne Gonsalez-Smith.
From Perfectionism to Confidence in Visual Arts
Schoneberg’s biggest transformation at the university went beyond developing technical skills; it was gaining confidence in himself as an artist. “I think in my first year, I was almost too much of a perfectionist when it came to photography,” he said, noting that he constantly felt his photos were not good enough or preferred that strangers not see them.
That mindset shifted gradually through exhibitions, critiques, and mentorship from faculty members such as Gonsalez-Smith and Michael Conlan, who pushed him to take advantage of outside opportunities. Their encouragement prompted him to submit work to exhibitions, including one where a piece he created was displayed and ultimately sold. Schoneberg also became a founding member of the UND Printmaking Club and learned how to accept opinions as constructive criticism. “My confidence has grown with that,” he said. “I want other people’s opinions on work, and learning how to take those opinions not in a negative way, but as constructive criticism, has been a really big part of it too.” He added, “It came over the last few years, and now I’m at the point where I am perfectly fine if strangers are looking at them. In fact, I want them to look at my work because that’s kind of what makes or breaks an artist.”
Studying Abroad and Looking Toward Graduation
During the summer of 2026, Schoneberg spent a month studying abroad in South Korea, traveling alone and embracing uncertainty. Visiting historic sites, exploring areas beyond Seoul, and immersing himself in a different culture helped reinforce the type of photography he wants to pursue and allowed him to see familiar subjects in new ways. “I was alone for maybe 12 hours, and then I made friends on the very first day,” he stated.
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