Meet Some of Our Visual Communication Design Students

When I was looking for colleges, Champlain blew every other school out of the water by far. I could tell that the professors really cared about the students and were passionate about what they were teaching. The biggest thing that drew me to Champlain was that we could take classes in our major starting the very first semester, so I knew that Graphic Design & Digital Media* was right for me.

*This program named changed to Visual Communication Design in 2019.

I often find myself connecting with and becoming invested in the projects that I do for my major. It is really tough for me to work on something that I am not passionate about, so being able to dive into something allows me to design it as my best self. Two projects in particular that I felt very connected with were a mantra poster I created and a typographic book that I designed.

I am the Director of Design for CHAMP (Champlain Has Activities and Motivational Programming). We plan all major campus events throughout the year to help build the community. I have been a member since the first week of my first year, and I love the positive atmosphere of the meetings. Now I'm a member of the board, and I make all the designs for the events. I couldn't be happier that I took a step out of my comfort zone.

I've always been a creative person and graphic design seemed like a great way to express that creativity both in the classroom and in the professional field. Initially, there are a lot of preliminary steps you need to take, such as learning how to navigate certain software or how to articulate design language. Learning those skills early on has allowed me to hone my design skills and become more confident in my field.

While focusing on my major is obviously important, I think that being aware of what is going on around you-both locally and globally-is just as important. Especially being a graphic designer, I feel that I'm very aware of this because I know images can easily transcend cultural and language barriers. They're universal. Because of this, it's important to recognize who your audience is and how your work might be interpreted around the world.

I was the Graphic Design Intern at Burlington City Arts in the summer of 2017. My duties included creating promotional materials for events and exhibitions, digital signage and social media assets, as well as printing vinyl signage for events, classrooms and office spaces. I also helped set up and run the Festival of Fools, which takes place on Church Street every summer. Seeing my designs all over Church Street was very exciting and rewarding for me. 

Getting to work on my Capstone, Critical, was by far the most rewarding experience. Critical is

an activism-based campaign advocating for accessible design practices to be integrated intoundergraduate design programs. Getting to build up the concept, brand, and outcomes all fromscratch was so much fun, but that was not even the most rewarding part. The most rewarding thing to come from the project was when a high school acquaintance reached out to me and thanked me for my work. He told me that he felt personally connected to my project, as he has two blind brothers. Of course, I knew going into the project that my intentions were to help those who are visually impaired, but being thanked by someone that actually has a direct connection with the folks whose lives I was hoping to enhance was a feeling like no other.

For the spring 2019 semester, I got to study abroad in London, England. As cliche as it sounds, I really do think that studying abroad was a life-changing experience. I went through a third party

program, so I got to live and study with people from all over the states and the world. I still talk to all five of the girls I lived with almost every day, and I know they will be forever friends. I got tovisit my boyfriend in Dublin for St Patrick's Day and we got to spend our spring break in Paris.
I think the most valuable thing I took from studying abroad was how rich other cultures are.London has some of the most amazing museums I have ever been to, and I learned so muchfrom going and studying the work from all around the world. My favorite museums were the TateModern and the British Museum! 
If I were to give one piece of advice to any Champlain student, it would be to study abroad. Imade so many unforgettable memories, learned so much, and made some amazing friends!

I am an Orientation Leader and the Director of Design for CHAMP. I love both of these groups,

as I get to interact with so many different people! Orientation week is so much fun. We get soclose with the best group of leaders and get to welcome so many new students. I love the highenergy and seeing all the working parts come together. I have been a part of CHAMP since myfirst year, and love getting to plan the different events.

Burlington is the perfect college town. The student population here is huge, so everywhere you go, there's always young people out and about. It also has a unique spirit and tightly-knit community, so it really does feel like home. I always recommend that people check out the local music and arts. There are always a lot of amazing shows going on in a variety of different venues across town.

I think my favorite major-specific class I've taken at Champlain is Intermediate Typography with Suzanne Glover. You grow so much over the course of that class, and seeing the progression from project to project is really exciting and rewarding. My favorite Core class that I've taken at Champlain is definitely the History of Hip-Hop with Brian Murphy, which had really interesting subject matter. It was one of the few classes that I've been excited to write a paper for.

Champlain has a really strong focus on providing you with real industry standards so that you can enter the field with all of the tools you need to succeed. The people I've met here form an amazing community, which will turn into an amazing professional network after graduation.

I studied abroad in London at Central Saint Martins. It was very different from Champlain, and I learned a lot about working conceptually and independently. While it pushed me out of my comfort zone at the time, it also taught me how to approach design from an entirely different perspective and shaped how I view visual communication today.

One experience I have found incredibly valuable at Champlain is the emphasis on collaboration in classes—every design class involves group critique from peers. I've had the opportunity to work on various collaborative projects, either in small groups or with the entire class. Working so closely with my peers has helped me create a tightly knit support system of people I consider not only peers, but some of my closest friends.

I helped organize a club called In The Arts, which encourages Champlain students to become involved in the art community around town, collaborate, and share their work with each other. I have met a ton of people through this club that I wouldn't have otherwise known. It's inspiring and motivates me to be creative.