Graphic Design
Year Graduated
2016
Major/ Minor
Graphic Design
What are you up to now?
I am the audience development coordinator for PBS Digital Studios. I'm currently living in Arlington, Va.
How does your art major/minor inform your career?
I use design skills in my current job to create graphics for social media. Previously I worked as a designer at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in the fundraising department. Having a foundation in art allows me approach problems creatively and to think about projects conceptually and holistically. Having a well rounded art background helped me a lot during my time working at an art museum, and it now helps me contextualize all the different subjects I come across while working in the realm of educational video content.
What are some of the most valuable skills you gained from the School of Art, Design and Art History?
Conceptualization and creative thinking/problem solving was a foundational skill I developed at JMU in almost all of my art classes. It helps me immensely when planning and executing projects and in my life outside of my work. Critiques in school prepared me for the working world, and those critique skills helped me in interviews, work project pitches and effective workplace communication.
What is your advice for JMU students knowing what you know now?
Don't despair when that job doesn't come right after you graduate. Be scrappy, learn from every experience (even the crappy ones) and get/stay involved in stuff you enjoy after college, even if it's not career related. Also while you're in school make all your projects out of trash so you don't have to pay for art supplies.
Website/Blog
