There are a few reasons Kayla Hess decided to pursue a Graphic Design major.
Firstly, she has always loved art. Growing up right here in Delhi, Kayla loved to draw pictures for family and friends as gifts—in fact, she still gifts drawings to family and friends. Secondly, she saw Graphic Design as a way to turn her passion for art into a successful career.
“My personality seems to mesh well with Graphic Design,” Kayla explains. “I’m organized, hard-working, and motivated to convey complex and meaningful ideas through compelling visuals.”
The third and final reason she chose to pursue a path in Graphic Design is the kindness and dedication shown to Kayla by the Mount’s Graphic Design professors. Their care is something Kayla picked up on from her very first visit to the Mount. “I could sense, from when I visited, that all of the Graphic Design professors were kind and dedicated to helping me become the best version of myself as a designer,” she recalls. “They won me over.”
Kayla’s time in the Graphic Design program undoubtedly left a profound impact on her love for the subject. The joy she finds in every aspect of her passion was nurtured at the Mount. In particular, she looks back on her senior thesis project, which she got to present to friends, family, and the Mount Community, with immense joy. Her senior thesis was a graphic design project aimed at emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness. “Mental health is just, if not more, important than physical health, and it’s something we all should take seriously,” Kayla declares. She was glad to be able to speak on an issue she cares deeply about to the Mount Community, and takes pride in the whole experience.
“I had grown so much since freshman year, both as a designer and socially,” she states. “Being able to speak with confidence about the significance of my thesis to the guest judges who were there reviewing gave me a lot of pride.”
But beyond grand projects, one of the things Kayla misses the most from her time in the Mount’s Graphic Design program are the little moments she shared with others in the program. “One of the things I miss most are the moments where we let loose and have fun, and all the little inside jokes with my classmates and professors,” she happily recalls. “Those were some of the best years of my life that I can look fondly back on.”
Experiences like these gave Kayla the confidence and love of graphic design to succeed, and she has become an outstanding member of the graphic design field because of it.
Pulling Creativity and Perseverance from Extracurriculars at the Mount
In addition to majoring in Graphic Design, Kayla was involved in various student organizations. She was an incredibly skilled distance runner on the Mount’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams, and participated in Art Guild and Writer’s Block, two Mount Renaissance programs designed to broaden the understanding of the human experience through the arts. She was also a member of Mission Ambassadors, a community of students who encourage one another to live the Mount’s mission. Kayla credits all of the campus organizations she was a member of with helping empower her to Light the Way in her career today. “Running Cross Country and Track & Field instilled in me a sense of determination and ambition that characterizes me today,” she attributes. “I refuse to let any of my designs appear half-finished or sloppy, because I know it makes a difference in how it’s received.”
Art Guild and Writer’s Block, she feels, taught her to take chances on embracing herself and her own creativity. These organizations taught her that no idea is out-of-reach or unachievable. “You can accomplish a lot by working together as a group,” Kayla asserts. “Just look at some of the murals around campus.”
Having assisted with painting both the cicada mural and the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton mural on campus, Kayla knows a whole lot about what working as a group can accomplish, and her learning has carried over into her professional career. Additionally, Mission Ambassadors taught Kayla to give back to her community through service. “One of my favorite memories from being a student was going on the service trip to New Orleans and painting houses,” she states. “You won’t regret going out of your comfort zone. Do what excites you.”
Words of Appreciation to Professors at the Mount
Kayla feels that multiple different professors at the Mount have helped her become the person she is today. One is now retired professor Dr. Jeffery Hillard, M.F.A., whose belief in Kayla’s potential as an artist and writer has had a profound impact on her determination to go above and beyond in her work. After her graduation in May, Dr. Hillard sent a graduation card in the mail, reading: “No matter what, don’t ever give up on your artwork, your writing, or seeking plenty of creative endeavors. You are Kayla Hess!”
“I’m so touched by his kind words and that he sees me as special, unique, and able to accomplish wonderful things,” Kayla states in deep thanks. Nearly two years out from graduation, Kayla continues to send Dr. Hillard novel manuscripts and essays she writes, and Dr. Hillard always replies with constructive feedback.
Another professor Kayla expresses deep gratitude for is Dr. Liz Mason, Ph.D. “Dr. Liz Mason has always been one of my biggest supporters and forever in my corner, and her encouragement is something I’ll always treasure,” Kayla makes known. She voices that through having taken several of Dr. Liz Mason’s courses, she has had a love of learning, literature and writing instilled in her—that, as anyone could see, she has carried into her professional career.
“One of my favorite places to be is in a book store,” Kayla declares. “Just look at my bookshelf and you’ll be able to tell.”
Nurturing Kayla’s interest in and pursuit of graphic design were professors Swati Chopra, M.Des., B.F.A., and Kurt Grannan, M.F.A., B.F.A. Kayla recognizes Dr. Chopra and Dr. Grannan as two professors who taught her what graphic design is meant to be. “They’ve taught me that everything design should be infused with meaning, not something that’s thrown together haphazardly,” Kayla reflects. “In addition, it’s the little details that matter most, and as a
graphic designer, you must be precise, even if it’s the spacing between lines or letters in type.”
Drawing Up a Career With Cas-Ker
Graphic Design was evidently the right choice for Kayla, as she has been able to do wonderful things with her degree. Namely, just two months after her graduation last May, she has been able to land a full-time job as a graphic designer/marketing manager at the Cas-Ker Company, a locally-owned business that serves jewelers and watchmakers in Cincinnati. Kayla performs a variety of different tasks within the company: Designing flyers, their monthly publication: Cas-Ker Times, and their bi-monthly publication: Cas-Ker Update, ads and content for the Cas-Ker website, vendor magazines, and social media platforms. Additionally, she keeps their product catalogs updates and does email-marketing through a platform called MailChimp.
As one could imagine, that’s a whole lot of work. But since art is a passion of Kayla’s, she finds joy in every step of it. “My favorite part of the job is approaching every assignment I get like a puzzle or challenge to be solved,” she expresses with delight. Every time she approaches a project for the company, she asks herself, “How can I make this effective and appealing to the Cas-Ker customers?” With this attitude towards her job, Kayla has been able to serve her community by putting out great designs, and helping the Cas-Ker company to support local jewelers and watchmakers in Cincinnati.
Illustrating a Love for Her Community
With the confidence, lessons and love instilled in her by various professors at the Mount, Kayla has been able to accomplish great things in the graphic design field, including giving back to the aforementioned Dr. Hillard in a meaningful way.
Dr. Hillard is writing a book, Havana Riffs, that’s set to come out this year. The book is a collection of poems he wrote about his various times in Cuba. Having had Kayla as a student, and recognizing her artistic talents, he has selected her to illustrate ten different black and white images to accompany some of the poems in the book. “To be able to work on this project, it feels like a fantastic opportunity to show off my artistic ability and skills as an illustrator,” Kayla excitedly states. “In some ways, it feels like a chance to get my foot in the door, while serving as a blank slate to let my creativity run wild.”
Looking forward, Kayla has more creative ambitions in store for the future. Feeling that she excels best at illustrating cute, funny and cartoonish artwork, she plans to illustrate her own children’s book. “Drawing realistic people is hard!”
Reflecting on her desire to draw a children’s book, she looks back on the shows she grew up on. “I think the desire to illustrate a children’s book came from growing up and watching shows like Gravity Falls, Chowder, and Phineas & Ferb,” Kayla explains. “I looked at the character designs and storylines and thought to myself, ‘Hey, I’d like to do that too.”
By using her degree and artistic talents to publish a children’s book, Kayla hopes to give back to her community by teaching children important values and lessons they can hold onto as they get older.
Reflecting on What it Means to Give Back to a Community
Kayla gives back to her community in various different ways, whether it be through her careful work in Cas-Ker, her independent artistic projects, or simply being present. She carries her experiences as a student at the Mount into her work at Cas-Ker, facing work with the same ambition she’d summon for a race. Kayla brought her artistic talents off campus, and is now working on multiple independent projects that serve her community, whether through visual art or writing. To Kayla, giving back to your community means believing in yourself enough that you never let anyone else convince you that you don’t have what it takes to be a leader. She emphasizes, “You can be quiet and introverted like me, and still Light the Way through small acts of thoughtful kindness, purposeful intention, and dedication to craft.”
To Kayla, being someone who leads for others in a community doesn’t have to mean being outgoing, outspoken and bold. It means caring about others more than yourself, putting in the hard work, having grit and standing up for what you believe in.
“At the end of the day, your actions and words matter,” she stresses. “So, make them count.”
Interested in the Mount’s Graphic Design Major?
Students majoring in Graphic Design at the Mount are empowered to explore their creative spirit with a wealth of opportunities presented by welcoming and invested professors. Graphic Design students develop skills in problem-solving, multi-page design, information graphics, brand strategies and more. If you’d like to learn more about the Mount’s Graphic Design major, check out our Graphic Design page here!