Where are you from? 

I was born in Oceanside, California. I lived on both the West and East Coasts growing up. When I was about 12 years old my family settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been in Oklahoma ever since! 

Why did you choose to attend OSUIT?

While I was completing my Associates in Arts, I was taking an Advanced Composition class. We were asked to find a professional in the field we wanted to work in after college. I reached out to Nate Olsen at Hampton Creative in Tulsa. He is a graduate of OSUIT, and he spoke very highly of the program. The things he learned during his time here, he still applies to this day. I think the reputation of the school factored a lot into my decision.

I was also impressed by the job placement rates at OSUIT. You could go anywhere and get a college degree, but I was drawn in by the fact that so many graduates of OSUIT have a job waiting for them as soon as they graduate. For a nontraditional student like me who will be 29 when I graduate, I wanted to start working right away as soon as I graduated. So, to me that was the icing on the cake! As soon as I took the tour of the campus, I knew that this is where I wanted to be.

What is your program and why did you choose it? 

I’m in the Graphic Design program, and I love it. I’ve been an artist all of my life, so it was natural for me to find a career putting those skills to use. I have mostly used traditional mediums in my work, such as acrylic and oil painting. However, in the last four years, I’ve come to love digital painting. In addition to that, I love working with computers. I’ve been interested in them since I was little. Graphic design combines those two passions of mine into something you can make a living doing!

The Graphic Design program has an amazing reputation for putting very highly-skilled, capable graduates out into the workforce. I think that is because, in part, all of our instructors have worked in the industry themselves. They don’t just teach theory out of a book; they have real-world experience. The program is very heavily project-based, and right now we are working with live clients. It’s like a preview of what life would be like once you work in the industry. It’s a good way to know if it’s going to be something you want to do for a career, or not. 

I knew that when I graduated from OSUIT, that a future employer looking at my resume will be impressed. It’s not an easy program, so by completing it, you show that you are disciplined, talented, and ready to go to work.

How can you Be True To You at OSUIT?

To me, being true to you means following your heart and being yourself. By going to college and furthering your education you are bettering yourself and your future. There is only one you, and we have to take our natural skills and talents and apply them to our work in college and the workforce. We all have something unique to bring to the table, that’s what makes the world an interesting place. No one else can be you. So, you should be the best version of yourself that you can be! 

Also, you can Be True to You by doing the best you can in all of your work. It shows that you are a hard worker if you turn things in on time and do your best on your assignments. You may not think so, but your instructors notice and appreciate your hard work and effort, even if they don’t always say it! Personally, I always feel better when I know I did the best I could do on a project. 

How will you Be the One They Call?

I’ll be the one they call because I’m going to graduate from OSUIT with the skills I need to be successful in my career. When you are dependable, people know that they can always count on you to get the job done and do it well. Not only are we learning how to use the software, but we are also learning critical thinking skills, creative problem-solving and even skills such as better communication by working in teams. All of those skills are important in any industry.

What would you tell someone about OSUIT? 

Two years is a really short time, but in those two years of the program, you learn so much! Not only do you learn the skills you need, but you also learn a lot about yourself. I feel as if creative people can thrive among other people who share similar skills. We learn from, inspire and motivate each other at OSUIT. You get to be around people who love design as much as you do. That’s important because for me I always felt like I was different from the people around me for some reason. But when I’m at OSUIT, I feel like I belong there because we are all creatives.

In a nutshell, for the very low cost of attending, you get amazing value with OSUIT. In only two years, you can learn the skills you need to be successful. Many places offer degrees in graphic design, but I truly believe that ours is the best. We have a stellar reputation and unbeatable job placement rates. I can’t think of any reason why someone should pass up such an amazing opportunity!