Woohoo! I have officially earned my MFA in Visual Communication Design! This is a dream that has been baking for a long time and it feels really great to finally cross the finish line.

Yesterday, December 10th, 2021, marked the end of five amazing and challenging years of graduate school. It’s definitely time to wrap up my MFA but it still feels bittersweet. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to go to grad school and to invest in myself professionally. I was very aware of this privilege during my time in grad school so I did my best to make the most of it. I got to work with some really talented professors and students, worked on a ton of passion projects, and learned a ton of new skills. I also got to teach for a while which was exactly what I hoped to do while in grad school. There were a lot of bumps in the road along the way from the typical stress and pressure associated with grad school, to almost dying twice, a tornado ravaging campus, and a global pandemic, but I made it!

JSU feels like home, and the people like family, and I will miss feeling connected to everything. Thankfully, I’m president of the Art Alumni Chapter so I have a good excuse to visit and keep in touch. 😅

Graduation, or commencement as it is officially called, was extra special because I got to share it with several friends, and over a dozen of my family members were able to attend and celebrate with me. I’m the first person in my family to graduate with a Master’s degree so it was an extra big deal. My family has been incredibly supportive and understanding of my commitment to my education. They are super proud of me but also probably relieved that I am done and will have more time for them. My husband Karl is especially excited about that as well. There’s no way I could have earned my MFA without Karl’s support and encouragement. He picked up the slack at home so that I could focus on my studies and so much more. I truly couldn’t have gotten any luckier in love. Now hopefully he can enjoy a much-deserved break.

Commencement passed by very quickly but was super nice. It was held inside JSU’s Pete Mathew’s Coliseum where we were surprisingly not required to wear masks. Hooray! We had several excellent speakers, most notably JSU President Don Killingsworth and Walt Disney Communication Manager Brad Page. I was super pumped to have a guest speaker related to my field and really enjoyed Brad’s talk and personality. Several of my professors were present for the ceremony, including MFA Coordinator Jamie Runnells who performed the MFA hooding ceremony. Being hooded and walking across the stage happened so fast it’s a bit of a blur but I definitely remember the feelings of pride and exhilaration, and am happy I chose to participate in the ceremony.

Before I wrap this up, I’d like to take a moment to thank all my friends and family, especially my husband Karl, for all of their support, understanding, and encouragement. I thoroughly enjoyed grad school, but it wasn’t always easy on me or those around me. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful and supportive friends and family. Thank you for your encouragement and support; you’re the best!

I’d also like to thank Jacksonville State University, the Department of Art & Design, and all of the professors and students I’ve worked with over the past five years for making my graduate experience extra awesome. I received an excellent education and had lots of wonderful opportunities ranging from teaching, attending conferences, serving as president of the photo club, exhibiting and presenting work, to studying abroad. I’ve grown a lot as an artist and designer and have a ton of projects I’m super proud of that I look forward to developing further in the future. Thank you!