For more than 33 years, Amy Fischer graced our Office of Admissions with outstanding leadership and service. She had an enormous influence on thousands of students who entered our doors. She worked tirelessly on our behalf.
Amy was a very humble, quiet, thoughtful and talented member of our Admissions team. She never wanted credit for all that she did. She wanted results. And she got them.
She was a world traveler who represented Ringling College as the place to be for the best possible visual arts education. Her journeys took her to the Far East, the Middle East, India, Europe, and Latin America. She also knew every part of our home state and domestic points beyond.
Amy was a great enthusiast of literature. She was also a first class writer. If you have read our Admissions catalogs, view books, brochures, etc. you have read her writing. Her belief in the power of education was felt by anyone who talked with her or visited with her.
Amy also had a great love of nature. She traveled to places like Bali, the Galapagos, and the jungles of the Amazon. She was an avid bird watcher. Her compassion and love for dogs was a part of her. She volunteered at Vintage Paws Sanctuary here in Sarasota. There, she was able to find an outlet from the hard work at Ringling, and give her love and attention to older dogs who had no one else.
Amy’s gentle nature, fierce competitiveness, and remarkable knowledge helped to propel Ringling College to where it stands today as one of the most highly regarded art and design colleges in the United States. Our international student population rose dramatically under her leadership in that area.
We are all deeply saddened by this loss. She was one in a million. She gave so much and never expected anything in return other than loyalty to our institution, support for her causes, and respect for all. Amy will be greatly missed, but her impact on us, both professionally and personally, will always be an example of how to live and work.
By Jim Dean | Photo by Cody Maple
Jim Dean is the Dean of Admissions for Ringling College of Art and Design.