Some people seem to know exactly what they want to do from the start. I was not one of those people — or at least, I did not think I was. What I did know was that I had always loved art. Since I could hold a pencil, I had been drawing. It was second nature to me, something I did without thinking. Through elementary school, middle school, and high school, art was always my main focus. It was what I was known for. If someone in class needed help drawing something for an assignment, I was the person they asked.

A big part of that love for art came from the people who encouraged it early on. Art teachers were some of my first and most consistent supporters, long before I ever thought about turning creativity into a career. They were the ones who made art feel important. I remember being completely fascinated in elementary school by one of my art teachers, convinced she was the coolest person I had ever met. She carried herself with so much confidence, creativity, and individuality that I could not help but admire her.

Then there was Greg Jones, an art teacher I had in kindergarten and first grade who later reappeared in middle school and high school. He was funny, energetic, and impossible not to love, but more importantly, he was one of the first people who made me believe I could do something meaningful with art. He pushed me to be better, lead with confidence, and trust what I was capable of.

Looking back, so much of who I am now was shaped by teachers like them — people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.

Art became more than just a hobby as I got older.

Naturally in high school, I joined Art Club and eventually became president from my junior year through my senior year after serving as secretary the year before. Art had always been the thing I loved most, the thing I worked hardest at, and the thing that came most naturally to me.

Still, there was one question I could never seem to answer: what was I supposed to do with that after high school?

I knew I loved creating, but I did not know how to turn creativity into a career. Like a lot of young artists, I had convinced myself that pursuing art meant choosing instability. The stereotype was hard to ignore: “Artists do not make money until long after they are gone.”

I did not want that life, but I also could not picture myself in a dull office job where creativity had no place.

Like many confused high school seniors, I started searching for something practical that still felt creative. For a while, cosmetology seemed like a possibility. It interested me, and it offered a creative outlet, but it never felt right. Deep down, I knew it was not what I was meant to do.

So, I looked at community college instead, specifically Indian Hills Community College. At the time, I still had no clear plan, but I knew doing something was better than doing nothing. I committed to earning my Associate of Arts degree, planning to figure the rest out later.

What I did not know then was that the answer would come from an opportunity I almost said no to.

In late June of 2023, my aunt, who owns an event planning business in Colorado, asked if I could make a few quick flyers for one of her clients’ events. I agreed, though I was hesitant. I had never designed anything like that before. My experience was in drawing and studio art, not digital design. I assumed I was stepping outside my skill set.

I was wrong.

Once I created those first flyers, everything changed. My aunt loved them, and to my surprise, she hired me as her full-time remote graphic designer. Suddenly, I was no longer just making art for myself — I was creating with purpose. I was designing for real clients, solving problems visually, and learning new skills with every project. What started as a favor turned into the beginning of my career.

After about a month and a half of designing for her, I realized I had fallen in love with graphic design. It combined everything I had always loved about art with strategy, communication, and real-world application. I changed my enrollment at Indian Hills to focus on graphic design, and from there, everything clicked into place.

The more design classes I took, the more certain I became. With every project, I felt more invested. I poured myself into the work, learned constantly, and watched my skills grow faster than I ever thought possible.

I was no longer wondering if creativity could become a career. I was living proof that it could.

One of the biggest reasons I continued to grow was the guidance I received from my professors, especially Mary Clark. She did more than teach me design principles — she helped shape the way I saw myself and my future. She inspired my interest in social media, branding, and content creation, and she showed me how broad the design world really is.

By the time I finished at Indian Hills, I had another decision to make: enter the workforce full-time or continue my education. After spending countless nights weighing my options and scrolling through job listings, I realized that if I wanted to reach the level of success I envisioned for myself, I needed to keep going. That decision led me to Buena Vista University.

Choosing BVU was not what I originally planned. I had once imagined myself attending an art school in Florida, but life had other plans. At the time, that felt devastating. Now, I can say with certainty that ending up at BVU was exactly where I was meant to be. Here, I have grown in ways I never expected. I have found professors who challenge and encourage me, including Professor Carlson, who made BVU feel like home almost immediately.

Looking back, graphic design was not something I found overnight. It was something I grew into. What began as a lifelong love for art became a career path through unexpected opportunities, supportive mentors, and a willingness to trust where creativity could take me. For the first time, I am not questioning whether I chose the right path.

I know I did.