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Jacob Fisher, '11
Graphic Design
Jacob Fisher, graphic design major, has spent his last semester immersed in a six-month internship that offers plenty of challenge, and not just because the host firm, Cisneros Design, is located more than 1,000 miles away from St. Louis—in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The opportunity presented itself because Cisneros is already a partner with Maryville University; the firm is on retainer for most campus design services. In fact, Fisher frequently finds himself working on projects for Maryville, such as advertisements, invitations and brochures.
The newly created internship will be awarded annually to a junior or senior graphic design or interactive design major who wants to experience the day-to-day life of an entry-level designer, while under the mentorship of professional designers and Maryville faculty. The paid position also includes 12-15 hours of academic credit and University-sponsored housing. Fisher is the first student to be awarded the Cisneros Internship.
Fisher, 23, was able to make the temporary move because the only remaining courses he needed to take toward his degree were advanced electives, and because his wife, Amber, was also willing to relocate to the Southwest.
"It was unknown initially exactly what the job looked like, so it was a bit of a risk, but I trusted that it would work out and it's gone really well," Fisher said. "We're enjoying the city—it's vastly different from St. Louis in culture and architecture."
"A design internship in another part of the United States brings not only the realities of the design business to the student's experience, but immersion in another culture," Cherie Fister, assistant dean and program director for Art & Design, said. "Getting a bigger vision of the world is critical to young designers. Our job is not to design for ourselves, but for all kinds of people, organizations and causes. The more you know, the more authentically you can design the message."
Fred Cisneros, creative director of the design firm, said internships are valuable learning tools for students, but also benefit the host company, especially in regard to work flow and staff development.
"Jacob contributes to the execution and production of final projects that actually get produced. There are few challenges when you're working on a hypothetical project for a class," Cisneros said. "Interns learn quickly to communicate their ideas, present them and interpret what clients are asking of them."
The safety net of working in a studio allows students to contribute, build confidence, try out new ideas with peers, work with creative directors, learn how to track their time and experience working with a budget, Cisneros said.
Working in an open office environment with a small group of other designers has proved invaluable, Fisher said.
"At Maryville, we're always told to ask for advice in class and here we do a lot of internal reviews – such as asking each other about best use of typefaces or software questions," Fisher said. "You pick up things a lot faster when you're working in a professional environment because you have to."
Ousman Diallo
Commencement day, Saturday, May 7, is a long-awaited occasion for Ousman Diallo, a graduate student in rehabilitation services and counseling. Throughout his higher education pursuits, life events have interrupted his studies too many times—but the rewards of perseverance are close at hand.
"I am in awe that I'm about to graduate. I won't believe it until May 7, knowing my luck," said Diallo.
As a member of the National Guard, Diallo was deployed to Iraq in 2004 during his undergraduate studies in management and marketing at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. His graduate studies at Maryville University were delayed by a second military tour, this time in Kosovo in 2008.
Diallo began his service with the National Guard in 2001. At the time, he was working for the St. Louis County Health Department. As a refugee from Liberia, Diallo did not have American citizenship, but he did have permanent residency.
"When I arrived in the U.S. in 1995, one of the things they said (at the immigration hearing) was 'Welcome to the U.S. You've been granted asylum indefinitely,'" said Diallo. "I wanted to give back, so I joined the National Guard."
At the time, Diallo was told the National Guard would help pay for school and he most likely would not serve outside the country. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, however, necessitated deployment. Those experiences ultimately led him to a career in rehabilitation counseling.
"I want to help other veterans. I've been there. I've seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. I've lost friends," said Diallo. "My long term goal is to take this experience and education back to Liberia. They are not vets in the traditional sense, but there are many former child soldiers now in their twenties with no direction. The trauma is still there."
Diallo is the 2011 recipient of the Megan Piontek Scholarship, awarded for excellence in rehabilitation counseling. Fellow students nominate the award candidates.
"It was touching because I didn't even think about it. It meant a lot to me to see how motivating what I'm doing is for them," said Diallo. "I appreciate it."
In the meantime, Diallo keeps his fingers crossed that nothing comes in the way of his graduation in May—and that afterward he receives an offer in his field.
"If you have the education, the rest will follow," said a confident Diallo. Of course, he also thanks the many mentors he had at Maryville University; in the Veteran's Administration's vocational rehabilitation and evaluation department, where he completed an internship; and his family.
Article by Angel Kothe
Adam West, '11
BFA, Studio Art
Adam West, studio art senior, began his college career in graphic design. Now, more than ever, he's positive he made the right decision to change his major. This May, West will graduate with a BFA in studio art with an emphasis in photography.
"I really liked the clean feel to graphic design. But I was always creating stuff in the margins in Illustrator. I felt like I was doing more on my own," West said.
West's career epiphany came while mounting his final photography project with polyurethane.
"I realized I was having more fun because I was more involved in the project. It was a really tough decision to switch majors, but I definitely made the right one," he said.
He has his own style when it comes to photography, which involves manipulating photos.
"I like to put so much on the photo. I also use digital negatives in the darkroom. It's like a science because of the different chemicals and reactions that take place," West said. "While I do enjoy nature, being outside, and exploring, I use those experiences to inspire my work. I love building and constructing a scene to photograph, creating a false sense of truth and letting the viewer see as much or as little as I want."
West had the chance to view a wide range of artistic styles as a volunteer at the Saint Louis Art Fair last fall.
"I was assigned to an artist at the Saint Louis Art Fair. I helped them from the time they set up their booth to taking it down," he said.
John Baltrushunas, MFA, associate professor of art, asked if West would be interested in participating in the Saint Louis Art Fair Emerging Artists as Entrepreneurs Program this year. West and another Maryville student, Lilli Kayes, are two of 10 students in the program.
Emerging artists have an opportunity to showcase and sell their artwork at the 2011 Art Fair, held in September. Meanwhile, they're attending monthly classes that began in January and continue until the fair is held.
"We have a new speaker each month covering different topics. Some topics overlap with senior seminar, but they go more in depth," West said.
By the time student artists get to the Art Fair, they will have experienced the full range of logistics involved in producing such an event.
Next fall, West plans to attend graduate school to earn a master's in education.
"I'd like to become a college professor at some point. I'd love to just sell art and make money, but I like watching people learn. It's a good feeling," he said.
West is currently applying for an internship with a local art gallery.
"I'd like to see how it is from the other side, preparing for the show and hanging the work," he said.
West hopes to do some traveling after graduation.
"I would love to explore and see what kind of art comes out of that, and have no limitations. I'd like to learn all I can to be a seasoned artist before I teach," he said.
Article by Erica Virgin
Jenna Bartak, '11
B.A., Organizational Leadership
Jenna Bartak enthusiastically pursued leadership and education during her time at Maryville — something that continues surprise to her.
"I came to college so shy. I only talked to people that I knew. I never would have thought that I would be standing up to give a commencement address," she said. "During my freshman year, a junior fellow in the Keith Lovin Institute for Leadership and Values reached out to me, and I got involved. Since then, I've wanted to do the same thing."
Bartak, who was one of two student commencement speakers this year, later became and a Resident Assistant, which helped her make a positive impact among many of her peers.
"I was a health professions major, but switched because of my involvement with the Institute. Well, that and I almost fainted in one of my early classes when someone said the word 'clot,'" she said. "When I read, I like to skip to the end because I don't like to be surprised. I would have skipped my freshman year, if I could have. I'm really glad I didn't."
(view full text of Jenna's commencement speech)
Since finishing her degree requirements last December, Bartak has served as an administrative intern with the Keith Lovin Institute. She plans to begin graduate studies for a master's in higher education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale this fall, where she will also work as a graduate assistant in the leadership institute.
After beginning college at another school where he thought he might study music, Aaron Frimel took a year off to play rhythm guitar in a local Queen tribute band. He then enrolled at Maryville on a very different track. This spring he graduated with a BS in biology and a minor in chemistry, with plans to pursue a PhD in biochemistry at a large research university.
Frimel has long been on a quest to understand the world around him; a career in scientific research, he said, is just a continuation of that quest.
"I'm a tinkerer, I love taking guitars apart and trying to make them sound better. I listen to music and wonder how to make that sound, or I hear a lecture and I am just curious about how something works," said Frimel.
That curiosity got the better of him during his time at Maryville and he hopes to continue his education to make a career in academia teaching and conducting research in enzymology-- the study of enzymes and their functions. It is a path he found with the help of some interested faculty members, especially Russell Blaine, PhD, assistant professor of biology and Jason Telford, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry.
"They encouraged me to look at research and graduate school. I spent a lot of time in Russ's office -- he invested a lot in me and gave me a lot of direction," said Frimel.
Frimel is thankful that Maryville is small enough that he could have a more personal relationship like this with his professors. And while he may have discovered a new outlet for his curiosity in the laboratory, music is still a favorite way to unwind and unplug from long study sessions -- his guitars and mandolin are going with him on his journey.
