No one ever told me how it would feel after graduating from college. Well, besides the celebratory drinks with friends and praises from your family. I have noticed that it has a weird melancholy about it, I have total freedom and I have no idea what to do with it. I know I want to be a designer and test my creative ability, but now the choice is mine as to where I want to practice my craft.
I have recently graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in graphic design. I am not originally from St. Cloud or Minnesota. I was born in San Jose, California and began to move frequently to different states such as Wisconsin, Illinois, and Washington. I lived in Seattle for nine years prior to moving to Minnesota in 2005. I have been quite accustomed to a somewhat nomadic style of living, I make a major move every few years or so. Because of that, I am searching for a full-time job out of state. I am looking at a possible move back to Seattle or exploring new places that I have heard are great places to live such as Portland and Austin.
Apart from job-hunting, I have been interning at Gaslight Creative since October. It has been a great experience working here; the Gaslight team is always extremely positive and helpful, and I am learning more and more each day.
It’s amazing how much you can learn when you are put into a work environment instead of a classroom. Sometimes it was a little nerve-racking, seeing if I really can accomplish a project – not only to certain specifications, but also on time. I can’t say I didn’t feel a little bit of self doubt when I was asked to complete a project within an hour or two, but I also saw it as a challenge to improve my skills and productivity. There is a lot of relief knowing that if I have questions or problems I can just turn to my left or right and get the help I need.
I’m hoping to take everything I learn at Gaslight Creative and my degree I earned at St. Cloud State to find a job that makes me jump out of bed in the morning in excitement. I feel truly lucky to be able to say that I plan on being a designer for the rest of my life. Also, feel free to check out some of my work here!