Audrey's blog
Class of 2009, Graphic Design and Communication Major, from Door County, WI

Greetings Everyone!

O my goodness, I cannot believe that this is our last week of classes! What a bittersweet time of the year; not only are we getting ready for the warm, summer season (that I hope comes) and time away from classes, but we are also saying goodbye to another group of seniors. This tradition continues year after year, but yet it still seems to become harder and harder! Maybe this is because it means that I am one year closer to entering the real world!

In a related topic, I will be meeting someone of the "real world" who is in the field of graphic design. Mr. Mike McKenna, of the Karma Group, has agreed to meet with me on Tuesday the 29th! This is very exciting news, as I have never really had the opportunity to meet a "professional" in the graphic design business in a one-on-one context. While yes, all those who have been teaching me the ropes here at SNC have provided excellent and invaluable information, I know this meeting will be a great opportunity for a wide variety of reasons.

Originally, I was considering asking if the Karma Group accepts interns. However, since I have obtained the position as the Graphic Design Intern, I have a different idea (I also do not want to just show up and "ask" for a job, that would almost seem rude). I would like to ask him information on what it takes to be a successful member of the team in graphic design, what the different positions are, etc. He is willing to meet with me at the company location, which is going to be so exciting! I have never been at a design company before, only seen them in videos! It will be so rewarding to see what the working environment can look like!

In our business and professional speaking class, we were given an assignment in the beginning of the semester to meet with individuals who work in the field/profession we hope to enter after we graduate. Meeting with Mr. McKenna will provide me with the opportunity to learn, just outside the classroom. That was the entire purpose of the assignment, I am just taking it past the assignment requirements. I hope that everyone tries to do that in some way. Not only will they have the chance to meet new people and make new friends/acquaintances, but they will also get their name out there and establish "networks."

Unfortunately, I do not like how that works. We have all heard the saying, "it is not what you know, it is who you know." It just makes me feel that all the hard work that we do seems to be worth nothing unless we have the proper social skills. It is rather discouraging the more I think of it. What if the people we are meeting are only talking to us to get something they want, not a new companionship?

Either way, I know that we all have the opportunity to do great things, whether it is because we know great people, or we know great information. Either way, this sums up with, I wish all seniors who are graduating, the best in their futures. Not only that, but the best to all students here. I have only been able to meet a small number of you out there, but I feel I have felt an impact from everyone in some shape or form, and I thank you for it; for you all have helped to shape my college experience so far. I am looking forward to the final year to come.

Best of luck with exams, final projects, papers, presentations, etc! Remember to just breathe, sometimes we forget to do that!

Take care!

As Always,

Audrey

Greetings Everyone!

I hope that you are all having a great couple of weeks, despite the crummy weather that we are having. I swear, it is this weather alone that really makes it hard to want to get anything done.. Thankfully, the coming weeks are supposed to get a lot nicer out. (Let's hope so at least!)

I am sure that we are all in the same seats right now in that we are all starting to get spring fever, but have to keep it contained because there is a lot of work ahead of us. Finals are coming a lot sooner than I thought that they would, although I have to brag just a little bit in that I only will have one final exam. The best part is that it will be on the Monday of exam week, so it is smooth sailing from there!! YAY!! But don't get me wrong, I have quite a few projects, tests, and a final presentation to prepare beforehand.

The 100 Men Who Cook Appreciation Dinner was GREAT! The meal tasted phenomenal (I ate so much)! But besides that, we had some really positive results. Not only did more people come than we had anticipated, we also had some supportive feedback. Thankfully, the chefs are open to new ideas and new procedures for upcoming years in the 100 Men Who Cook Event. Everything went very smoothly and everyone was very friendly! Just a THANK YOU to anyone who is reading this that had any part in the dinner! I can't express enough how great everything was and it could not have been done without the support of others.

Just to keep you all updated, the interview that I had for the graphic design internship went really well. For those of you graphic design and fine art majors, make sure you rehearse a couple of things. The interviewer will ask you questions about your work, why you did it, how you came up with your ideas and so on. They also often ask "Where do you usually get your inspiration?". This is kind of a tough question to answer, but it is something that we should all know. Where do we get our ideas from and why do we think it is from those places, things, etc. Needless to say, I have the position. I will be working in that position this summer and through next year! I have heard a lot of things about the position, that it is challenging and ultimately very rewarding. GREAT! I like a good challenge that makes you feel good when you are done with it!

Along with that, I also applied to be a TRIPS Leader for the upcoming year. I applied for the L'Arche Community, which is in Iowa. It is a faith-based community that focuses on Developmental Disabilities. I am excited to not only make a difference there, but also to learn from them as well. I have heard so many great things about the TRIPS program, and I can't wait to experience them all. I can't wait to begin working with fellow members to get ready for our trip!

It is amazing that even though this academic year is winding down, I feel as if I am starting so many new things! (I think that is a good thing...)

I wish you all the best in your upcoming days of class, work, homework, and everything else that happens in your future days!!

Talk to you soon!

Audrey