Sarah Styron
University of Nebraska Kearney
Visual Communication and Design Student
Sarah received an AAF Omaha Meet the Pros 2017 event scholarship in memory of Ruth Williams. Williams was an AAF Omaha lifetime member and received the federation’s Silver Medal Award in 1991.
I am originally from Lincoln, NE. I had always been interested in art ever since I was little, so graphic design seemed like the right fit for me. I spent three semesters at Bethany a small college in Lindsborg, KS. Having a strong studio arts presence, Bethany gave me a sturdy, well-rounded foundation in studio arts. Unfortunately, they were lacking in their design area, so I decided to move on and find a better place for my major. I had heard the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) was one of the leading schools in the Midwest for their design program. So, I came to UNK as a transfer student, with a desire to grow and challenge myself in my graphic design major. This is my fourth semester at UNK, and I can say that I definitely made the right decision. The professors here are so helpful and truly want you to succeed. I have grown substantially as a person and in my design work from when I first started.
One of the many opportunities I have been given is to work with professor Rapien on updating the UNK Art website, and also creating a social media presence for the art department. One of my goals as a student and a graphic design major is to become more well-rounded. Working with the department has given me this opportunity through learning web design, expanding my photography skills, and finding ways to communicate to the student body.
I took a class last semester called “Typography 2”, with the chairmen Professor Schuessler. A project that I really enjoyed was a vote poster that was placed around campus during the presidential elections last year. The target audience was the students; the purpose was trying to get them to vote in the election. This was a unique experience, because we got to work with American Democracy Project (a faculty and student group on campus) and AIGA, promoting civic and political engagement.
Design and advertising has become such a passion for me. I am always trying to expand and grow as much as I can and at the end of the day, I am determined to make design that communicates and means something to people.
Contributions for this post are from Sarah Styron, UNK Visual Communication and Design student. Styron plans to graduate after the fall semester in December of 2018.
