CCAD Outstanding Senior Kayla Holdgreve, wearing her “signature” sunglasses

At the end of the academic year, CCAD deans names the faculty-selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major. Today, in part nine of our nine-part series, meet Photography outstanding senior Kayla Holdgreve.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

This last semester. I figured out what I wanted to do, and I created a really strong body of work that represents me as a person, as an artist, and the direction I want to go. The work is a three-part series that deals with the personal journey one takes within time and space. I used a lot of different photo processes and mixed digital and film.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

Just managing everything. It is such a heavy workload here, and you have to balance that with jobs, internships, personal work, and hanging out with friends.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

Developing my own work, and I would like to travel. I am going to wait a couple years, but then I will start applying to grad schools.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

My ultimate dream job would be to look at old photographs all the time, and travel, and get paid to do that.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

It is necessary to keep things going and growing. We have to ensure that students have access to what we did and even more.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

There was a moment when I was in the darkroom and I was experimenting with these negatives and trying to come up with something I have never tried before. I was in there for two hours, and finally when I was hovering over the chemicals the image came out, and I just thought “thank you, this is it.”

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

The fix and the photo chemicals.

Q: What will you miss the most?

The connections and the closeness of the students and the faculty here. We were able to have constant feedback, stay up late working with peers, and chat with the faculty on our work. Also, the equipment we had available to us.

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

Bittersweet. It is exciting to move on, but there are a lot of things that will be missed.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

Poetry with Lesley Jenike, feminism in art with Susanne Myers, and my materials study class with Helen Hoffelt. Those three factored so much into who I am and the work that I am about.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

Read, that is one thing that I have been enjoying. I’m currently reading 1984.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

Just hanging out with everyone in the labs; I practically lived there.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

Focus more and take advantage of everything offered here, from the equipment to the visiting artists’ lectures.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

Utilize all of the space, equipment, workshops, and visiting artists’ talks, just everything that is offered on campus.

Holdgreve is from Lima, OH, and attended Lima Senior High School.

CCAD Outstanding Senior Katelyn Venia

At the end of the academic year, CCAD names the faculty-selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major. Today, in part eight of our nine-part series, meet Interior Design outstanding senior Katelyn Venia.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

Being able to start up the ASID [American Society of Interior Designers] chapter again. The co-president and I worked really hard to get it off the ground and bring back that networking and professional spirit to CCAD and our major.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

The amount of work and deadlines. This program is really tough, and we are always under a lot of stress, but it really does prepare you for the outside world.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

I want to stay in Columbus, and I have been applying for a lot of stuff. I am really interested in higher education in Interior Design.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

Just designing, honestly. I have thought about opening my own firm, but just being able to design for a large amount of people and having those people experience that is really important to me.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

Especially in Interior Design, the insight you can get from people who have been through this before is really helpful. It not only clears up questions you may have, but it gives you contacts as you enter the professional world.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

This year has been a good year for me, and those moments have happened a lot. In particular, last semester we did a hotel project, and we were able to really just do what we wanted to do. I was able to see my vision come to life, and I knew that this was what I wanted to do.

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

Work.

Q: What will you miss the most?

The people here—our interior group is very compact, there are about 15 of us. We are really tightknit, and there is a lot of fun that happens. It is that family atmosphere that everyone thrives on, so hopefully I find a workplace that is similar to that.

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

Amazing. The amount of work that I have done in the past four years is insane, so it’s a good feeling and signifies the end of this time and my transition out. I am ready.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

There were a few, but probably display design. We have to take it as an advanced course, and I got some really good portfolio pieces. Justin Martini, who taught us, was really great about letting us run with our ideas and really pushing us.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

Relax. I love to read, and I haven’t read a book for fun in probably six months—I’m feeling deprived.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

That would have to be last semester again, during the hotel presentation. I was able to have a relaxed presentation, and a lot of CCAD faculty and staff came through. It was probably the most fun presentation that I’ve had.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would and I wouldn’t change things. I would have maybe changed how I learned a little bit. I think I needed to see things a little better. We got a lot of information over our time here, and sometimes I wish I could have spent more time on some of those things.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

Hang in there, it is only four years. It is all worth it in the end. Do your best, people will notice. Work ethic is really important, and if you can show that, you’re good to go.

Venia is from Toledo, OH, and attended Whitmer Senior High School.

CCAD 2013 outstanding senior Wesley Talbott

At the end of the academic year, CCAD names the faculty-selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major. Today, in part six of our nine-part series, meet Illustration outstanding senior Wes Talbott.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

I have been really proud of what we have been able to do with the Illustration Student Collective. We’ve done several gallery shows and have had some visiting artists come in—our talks have really been inspiring.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

I was never really scared; I always knew I would just take on whatever came.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

I was brought on as a freelancer for LEGO in April, and I’m working on a project for them right now. I actually just got back from Denmark and got the chance to see their workspace there and meet people on the team. And for after I graduate, I have a couple of people and companies on the list for freelance projects, and hopefully I will get more work through LEGO.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

Right now, LEGO is my ideal company, but being able to work for a small company may be fun just so you have control over multiple aspects of a project.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

I think it’s important for alumni to come back and help current students. It’s helpful for students to see someone who has gone through the exact same thing, classes- and training-wise, and have them speak on their experiences and how they eventually made it. It helps encourage those students that may be struggling.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

Every time I get a job and I start to get sick of it, I just sit back and think “I have no reason to complain—I am sitting here painting.” I have had other jobs at grocery stores and everything, and I hated it. So to be able to do this and get paid for it is awesome.

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

Polished concrete and white walls.

Q: What will you miss the most?

The interaction with other students. If I stay in Columbus, I plan to hang around here and still go to Illustration Student Collective meetings. We would have alumni randomly stop in and chat with us, and I loved that and want to be one of those people. But definitely just the people and the interactions.

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

Completion.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

I really liked my sophomore illustration methods class with Joseph Kovach. He made that class, and I am taking two more independent study classes with him.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

Build with LEGO; I have a huge collection. At LEGO, you don’t have specific jobs, you kind of do a little bit of everything. One of those aspects is set design. Ever since I discovered that, I have wanted to keep up to date on what kind of pieces there are and how to use them.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

I think it’s just the teachers. Sometimes when you show you’re competent at a skill, [outside] people will question why you are even in school, but I learned so much from the entire faculty here that it is irreplaceable.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would have maybe pursued different attributes of illustration, but I don’t think I would really change anything.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

Work hard, practice all the time, and I think the biggest advice I could give is to do what you love. Sometimes you have to take advice and what people say with a grain of salt and remember you just always have to do what you love.

Talbott is from Johnstown, OH, and was home schooled.

Stefanie Cook’s “self-portrait in mask (2012)”

At the end of the academic year, CCAD presents the faculty-selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major.  Today, in part five of our nine-part series, meet Fine Arts outstanding senior Stefanie Cook.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

How do you pinpoint your proudest moment? I don’t think I can, because I have been proud of every day that I have been here.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

The whole experience is terrifying; you have a lot riding on it. I am paying for this, I chose this path, and I think it means a lot to not only succeed in the work that you do, but succeed for yourself. Every scary moment I’ve had I knew I just had to suck it up and do it.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to apply to grad school, maybe go to OSU. I want to stay in Columbus, though; I feel like moving here was a really good choice. It is a great city to get rooted and grow in—I didn’t expect to love it here, but I do.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

To be able to share my education by some means; I want to be able to plant those creative seeds in other people.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

When I applied and moved here I had never been to CCAD, seen the campus, or even visited Columbus; I just went on faith. I had talked to two former graduates that I knew, and hearing them talk about the school helped me make this decision. Having an alum leave here with such a positive attitude really does reflect on what the school is capable of doing.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

In my honors hand lettering class Richard Aschenbrand said a lot of profound things, and I didn’t get them right away, but they later snuck up on me and really did reflect on all of my other classes and my career here. He taught me how to really look at the marks I was making and that changed how I worked in every other class since then. So, to realize that a teacher actually changed my perception and impacted my work made me sit back and think ‘this was why I am an artist.’

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

The doughnut smell in the air—that and turpentine, acetone, and any AMF studio smell.

Q: What will you miss the most?

Being with like-minded people and being surrounded by people that are exactly like me. This is such a great place to grow, and it is so much better to be with other people like that than just by yourself.

Stefanie Cook’s “chair 30 (2013)” from her senior thesis

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

It’s hard to believe this is going to be the end. But I feel like it is never ending, since I want to head straight into graduate school after this, so it is just another step forward.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

Brian Williams’ art theft and propaganda classes. The fact that they were offered here was amazing. That’s a fascinating subject for me and I have read a lot of books based on the material he taught, so to be able to explore that with other people was just really great.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

I do something with my hands. If I am not doing school work, I am doing my own work. I am always making something, and if it’s not for CCAD, it is for myself—my hands are never idle.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

Being with like-minded people, all the relationships, and hanging out in AMF studios, those are my fondest memories.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would have had a stronger relationship with a full-time professor or dean. I would have been able to really learn through them and their mentorship.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

I actually just wrote a quote down. I watched this today in class, and I have been saying it over and over—it is from John Baldessari: “You have to be possessed, which you cannot will.” I am at this point where I am working on my thesis, and I keep asking myself “Why am I doing this?” and after hearing this quote, it is true. I can’t force this work, I just have to let it happen and let it take me over.

Cook is from Chicago, IL.

CCAD Outstanding Senior Katharine Hire

At the end of the academic year, CCAD presents the faculty-selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major. Today, in part four of our nine-part series, meet Fashion Design outstanding senior Katharine Hire.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

My senior collection and the fact that I am actually graduating.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

Everything. I was a ballet dancer for a long time and came into fashion not knowing where I stood, so it was a big change.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

I have a job with Lane Bryant; I have been interning with them for the last two years. I will be an assistant designer in knit tops.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

My collection is about using African fabric to create flattering silhouettes for women, and my end goal and dream would be to develop a collection that allows me to give back to the African women I met during a missionary trip. I would love to be able to buy African-made textiles and create jobs for those women.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

When alumni come back to talk to students, it allows us to see that they have now made it, but were where we are now and were struggling too—it gives us insight on where we can go from here.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

Definitely finishing my collection with the African tie-in. For me, things have to have a little more meaning then just an assignment. With this, I want to be able to give back and send that message that beauty goes deeper.

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

Probably muslin.

What will you miss the most?

Being able to focus on my own work and my own stuff.

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

I am so excited; it is just an “I did it!” moment.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

I took a watercolor class with Linda Gall, and she really encouraged me and changed my perspective on what I was doing. I felt like I could really experiment because it wasn’t a fashion class, and she just took all the fear out of grades. I really learned a lot from her.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

I love to dance, and over the years my friends and I would go salsa dancing—that became an outlet for me.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

This senior year has been really neat for me to see the camaraderie in our class. I feel we have all got each others’ backs and we’re all pushing and helping each other out, which sometimes is rare in this environment and industry.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would have learned to deal with my anxiety a lot earlier.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

Put an emphasis on sleep and taking care of yourself. You will perform a lot better.

Hire is from Mansfield, OH, and attended Mansfield Christian High School.

2013 Outstanding Senior Tyler Crowley

At the end of the academic year, CCAD names the outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major.  Today, in part two of our nine-part series, meet Animation outstanding senior Tyler Crowley.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

Being co-founder of the Animation Student Collective, which is the big student animation group that we founded two years ago. We were actually elected the best student group through Student Affairs last year.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

I don’t think I have ever been scared here. Mostly that is because I transferred here, so I got my freshman jitters out of the way.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

To find a studio to work in. I am going to be interviewing with some California studios at Directions [CCAD's reverse career fair], as well as some back home in New Hampshire.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

To work in a studio out in California and eventually pitch my own show.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

It’s important to give perspective to current students about what it’s like to leave this school. It is important for students to know that the people that they look up to and aspire to be were where they currently are at some point. Through the Animation Student Collective it’s been great for me to speak to alumni Chris Oatley and Alex Alvarado.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

A year ago I was working on a kind of a goofy assignment where I was making a guy try to pick up a girl in the bar, and she turns around and her face is an alligator. I was struggling with it and being really critical of the project, giving myself a hard time, and I got to thinking that no matter how hard I am on myself, I am still able to do projects like this, where there is an alligator-faced person, so it can’t be that bad.

Q: What will you miss the most?

The Animation Student Collective group. It is a huge group, but I really feel like I am close friends with all of them. It is going to be difficult to move into a different group of people.

Q: If you could describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

I have never been one for ceremony or anything like that; graduation for me is more of a relief that this part is done and thinking, okay, what’s next?

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

Any of my animation classes—especially ones with Tom Richner, Andy Friz, and Phil Garrett.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

I would spend a lot of time with my friends in the animation collective group. We have five student leaders, so the five of us are as tight as can be.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

The late nights that I spend with those five other leaders, anywhere from planning out our meeting to going to Steak ‘n Shake after, which is a tradition of ours.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would have come here immediately instead of spending the year at the technical college and transferring.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

Get involved in your department. Animation is one of the most collaborative art forms, so you are going to be working with a lot of people; develop those people skills, and get more comfortable talking with people both in informal and formal settings.

Crowley is from Milford, NH, and attended Milford High School.

2013 Outstanding Senior Lillie Templeton

At the end of the academic year, CCAD presents the faculty selected outstanding seniors for each undergraduate major.  Today, in part one of our nine-part series, meet Advertising & Graphic Design outstanding senior Lillie Templeton.

Q: What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

Being a part of the team that kick-started the pop-up store effort here at CCAD. I was part of the honors class project’s One and now I am working on FORTHMADE, which will go up at Easton.

Q: What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

Probably being so far away from my family in North Carolina—it was a really big transition from a small town to a big city.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

I currently have a job as a designer at SBC Advertising; I was hired in January, and I am really happy to be a part of the team. I am primarily working with the Bed Bath & Beyond team, and I have worked on their email, their campus and beyond campaigns, their bridal campaigns, and just a little bit of everything.

Q: What’s your ultimate dream job or goal?

Ultimately I want to be a creative director. I like doing a little bit of everything, and I love seeing a project through from the strategy and research to the final visual project.

Q: Why is it important as an alumnus to give back to CCAD?

It is very important. I was part of the phonathon team my sophomore year, so I got to speak to a lot of alumni firsthand. Most of the alumni were eager to talk to students, and they would keep us on the phone sharing tips, knowledge, and wisdom. It was wonderful and made such an impression on me. Alumni donations, involvement, or even willingness to look at your portfolio really does make a difference in a student’s education.

Q: Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

Yes, absolutely. Normally it is when you finish a big project at the end of the year, and you step back a bit and get a phone call from your mom and she says she loves the project and you get messages from outside people saying how much they love your work. Those moments make the all-nighters worth it.

But the big moment for me was sophomore year when I was an illustration major (I’ve changed my major four times), and I was taking the advertising classes that were required and I realized I was the only person in the class that was enjoying myself. I liked it and wanted to do it the rest of my life.

Q: What smell, word, or whatever will always remind you of your time here as a student?

All-nighters.

Q: What will you miss the most?

I am going to miss the community here; I think that is the scariest thing about leaving here. I have so many friends, and there are faces that you are familiar with seeing every day—walking away from that and starting over is just terrifying, I am going to miss saying hi to Denny [Griffith, CCAD president] and seeing Jim [Lutz, chair of Advertising & Graphic Design] walk around outside, everything.

Q: If you can describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what would it be?

Victory.

Q: What was your favorite class at CCAD?

Biotechnology Inspires Artistry. I enjoyed it so much because it was unrelated to anything else I have done in my career. It was with Julie Posey; she taught the biology side and Kristine Schramer taught the art side. It was entirely new curriculum. Julie spent the first half of the semester talking about human anatomy and biology, and then Kristine helped us create gallery pieces and we had in a show at the end. It was fun because it got me away from the computer and I learned so much.

Q: What did you like to do during your free time?

If I did have free time, I probably just cleaned, since it was long overdue by the time I got to it.

Q: What is your fondest memory at CCAD?

Freshman year, those were the days. Hanging out in the dorms and late-night walks.

Q: What would you change about your undergraduate career?

I would have taken more credits my first semester. I only took 12 and I knew you could take up 18; that way I would have had less of a workload my last year.

Q: What is your advice to future CCAD students?

It is never too late to start your LinkedIn profile. You can start building your professional presence online, and LinkedIn can help back up your reputation. It also is helpful if you don’t have your website built yet. It’s so easy to neglect the business and networking side when you are in the arts, and this helps you get connected to those networks.

Templeton is from Wadesboro, NC, and was home schooled.

Photo from 2012 commencement

May is quickly on its way, accompanied by rain, flowers, and, very soon, graduation caps and gowns. On May 11 Columbus College of Art & Design will celebrate nearly 250 graduating CCAD students as they cross the stage of the historic Ohio Theatre and receive their hard-earned diplomas.

As the countdown to commencement begins, CCAD honors this year’s outstanding seniors. Each year department heads choose an outstanding senior for each undergraduate major. This year’s awardees include Justin Brown, Industrial Design; Stefanie Cook, Fine Arts; Tyler Crowley, Animation; Katharine Hire, Fashion Design; Kayla Holdgreve, Photography; Patrick Kain, Cinematic Arts; Wesley Talbot, Illustration; Lille Templeton, Advertising & Graphic Design; and Katelyn Venia, Interior Design.

We sat down to interview each of these stellar students, and we’ll publish a profile a day (on school days) starting on April 29 and culminating on May 10 when we announce the class valedictorian(s).

The outstanding seniors and valedictorian(s) will be honored at commencement, which will also feature an address by nationally renowned artist Mel Chin.

Leah Fisher, one of our 2012 Outstanding Seniors

At the end of the academic year, CCAD deans present the Outstanding Seniors for their divisions. Today, in part seven of our 10-part Outstanding Senior series, we interviewed Photography major Leah Fisher.

Q) What was your proudest achievement while at CCAD?

A) My proudest moment would probably be my thesis show. I did a Drive-By Shooting series that was captured while my husband drove around and I would snap pictures out the window of the car. It was the first time I was able to show my work to campus, the students, faculty, and staff. It accumulated after a year’s worth of hard work, and it was great project that I continue to work on.

Q) What scared you the most while you were at CCAD?

A) The foundation classes. They have this reputation for being really difficult, and when I would look at what students outputted from these classes it made me nervous and wonder if I would be able to do that well. The faculty was extremely helpful though in guiding students through the assignments and techniques.

Q) What are your plans after graduation?

A) I am going to continue working at the CCAD Packard Library. I work on archiving old photos that CCAD has and scanning them to help build our Flickr site. It has been a long process, but great to live through CCAD’s history and be able to make these pictures accessible to everyone. I want to be able to finish this project, and it’s nice because by working here, I also have time to work on my own projects and personal art.

Q) What is your ultimate dream job or goal?

A)I went from Columbus to San Francisco and back a few years ago, and I would love to do it again. I want to be able to take my time and drive out there, continuing my Drive-By Shooting project.

Q) Why is it important as an alumna to give back to CCAD?

A) I think it is really important to give back financially. If you have made it in your field based on the skills you learned at CCAD, you should give back to give another student the same opportunities that you received while here.

Q) Do you remember a single point that made you sit back and say, “This is why I am doing this?”

A) Working with Helen Hoffelt made me realize that. There is something to say when not only do you like your work, but other people, including faculty, have the same appreciation for it. Helen really pushed me to new limits and made my work really start to stand out and get noticed.

Q) What smell, word, object, or whatever will always remind you of your time at CCAD?

A) Think. Do.

Q) What will you miss the most?

A) I’ll miss the faculty. When you are here you have someone critiquing your work and pushing you in everything you do. They are tough, but in a positive, constructive way. I don’t know if we will have someone like that in the outside world to be the person to push the boundaries of what we are outputting.

Q) If you can describe what graduation feels like in one word or sentence what what would it be?

A) If feels long overdue. As a nontraditional student, I was working at this for 10 years. To finally graduate is a relief and the end to a great and long journey.

Q) What was your favorite class at CCAD?

A) My independent studies with Helen Hoffelt. I was able to complete two photo projects, once focusing on coal towns and another one on national parks. It was nice to be able to work in a structure similar to that of the real world: to work on my own and create what I wanted to create without strict guidelines.

Q) What did you like to do during your free time?

A) I keep working on my drive-by series. Every Sunday my husband and I drive around Columbus so I can photograph. It is a great for us to be able to spend time together and sometimes my brother comes with us. We are able to explore Columbus and all of its nooks and crannies. We have somewhat of a routine path, but we like to change the route every once in awhile depending on what I am able to capture and what I see that day.

Q) If you could go back to college what would you change?

A) I don’t have any regrets about my time here, but I would go back and work harder in some of my first photography classes. I treated those classes like beginner photo lessons, and I wish I would have just dived right in and started working on some more serious, thorough projects.

Q) What is your advice for future CCAD students?

A) Work really hard and don’t think and dwell to much on the assignments and guidelines you are given; instead just make art.

2011 graduates and families outside The Ohio Theatre

In honor of the 200-plus students who will receive diplomas at CCAD’s 133^rd commencement, we’ll be counting down the days by publishing interviews with our 10 Outstanding Seniors and announcing the class valedictorian(s).

Grades have not yet been submitted, so we are still waiting in anticipation to find out who is at the top of our 2012 class. One thing we can tell you is the names of our Outstanding Seniors. These 10 students were selected by the deans of their respective majors. They include Kattie Baker, Advertising & Graphic Design; Chavilah Bennett, Advertising & Graphic Design; Rachel Cass, Fashion Design; Sara Diesel, Illustration; Lian Dziura, Photography; Christopher Ryan Evans, Media Studies; Leah Fisher, Photography; Jake LaBombarbe, Industrial Design; Sarah McCance Interior Design; and Erin McKenna, Fine Arts.

The commencement speaker on May 12, is Mark Kvamme, interim chief investment officer and president of JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation responsible for Ohio’s economic development activities for the past year. Kvamme recently worked with CCAD’s Design Group on the redesign of Ohio’s license plates and driver’s licenses.

Check back on Monday, April 30, when we’ll introduce you to our first Outstanding Senior, Lian Dziura—we’ll publish one interview a day (on school days) through Friday, May 11.