As the 2024–2025 academic year comes to a close, we’re proud to celebrate a remarkable group of graduating students whose talent, drive, and creativity exemplify the very best of CCAD. Each spring we recognize outstanding seniors from every academic program—students who not only excelled in their coursework but also made meaningful contributions to our campus and creative communities. This year, we’re also honored to recognize our co-valedictorians, Eli Gamble and Layla Updyke, who represent the spirit of collaboration and curiosity that defines our college.
These artists, designers, storytellers, and innovators have pushed boundaries in their fields—from creating award-winning short films and immersive game art to launching businesses, reimagining fashion and furniture design, and telling powerful stories through illustration, photography, and comics. Their work speaks for itself—but so do their stories. Meet the outstanding seniors of the Class of 2025.
Animation
Born in Dublin, Ohio, Maggie Murphy was an endlessly curious and creative kid. She was raised playing ice hockey alongside her father and brother, and showed interest in all sorts of artistic ventures, like writing, coloring, and crafting. At school, you could find her doodling on her homework and drawing in her sketchbook, but she did not consider an artistic career until her freshman year of college at the Ohio State University. After her first year, she changed course and transferred to CCAD’s animation program.
During her first semester, Maggie began working as a Student Ambassador for CCAD’s admissions office. She competed in two consecutive 24-Hour Animation Contests, made her first film titled “Aghast Party,” and worked on her team film, “KinderGarden.” After learning motion graphics, Maggie interned with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL team in Columbus. She created the flaming Elmo crowd pumper that continues to inspire fans at Nationwide Arena during the Jackets’ home games. She also served as the vice president of CCAD’s Animation Student Collective during her senior year. After graduation, Maggie aspires to work full-time as a motion graphics artist and animator.
Comics & Narrative Practice
Ian Drescher is a writer and cartoonist from Los Angeles, California. Before attending CCAD, he majored in English Writing at Montana State and was interested in becoming a novelist. He spent most of his time in nature, living and working in Yellowstone National Park for two seasons. There, he revived his love for drawing and decided to go back to school. He began his time at CCAD in 2021 studying Illustration, but after two years moved to the CCAD Comics & Narrative Practice major. Over this time his interest in comics exploded and pulled him into a new and growing community of storytellers. He has won multiple Creative Writing awards at CCAD, and has been featured in various comic readings in Columbus. Ian plans to create comics and graphic novels that inspire, confuse, and ignite the strangest forces of empathy in each of us.
Fashion Design
Mackenzie Daugherty grew up around Columbus and always knew she wanted to go to CCAD. Her background is in illustration but she has always been interested in various forms of art. She attended CCAD’s Saturday Morning Art Classes throughout middle school and high school to explore future career options. Ultimately, she narrowed down her three passions to fashion, illustration, and film. Now, she is combining all three of her passions in her senior thesis collection “Final Girl”, to be shown at the annual CCAD Fashion Show.
During her time at CCAD, Mackenzie has grown from a 2D to a 3D artist. She thoroughly enjoys understanding her design aesthetics and building a brand for herself as an artist. She appreciates the process of design, particularly adding as much detail in her work as possible. She has achieved many academic accomplishments, including being on the President’s List every semester.
Mackenzie received the 2024 Columbus Fashion Council Scholarship and was featured on Good Day Columbus to promote her work. She was one of the winners of the collaborative classroom project to design a costume for the U.S. Figure Skating champion Isabeau Levito. She also won the Easton Holiday Window Display design competition in her freshman year. Currently, she is collaborating with the Ohio History Center to design historical costumes. After graduation, Mackenzie plans to become a costume designer for television and film.
Film & Video
Andrew Collins is a third-year CCAD graduate from Dublin, Ohio. While he's always had a strong interest in filmmaking, it wasn't until the pandemic that he realized his passion for film went beyond just a hobby. When he started at CCAD, he already had nearly a full year of College Credit Plus completed. This meant most of his classes were with students who were one or two years ahead of him. At first this intimidated him, but it also motivated him to work harder and prove he belonged alongside more experienced peers. This drive helped him produce some of his best work, especially in terms of visuals.
Andrew feels most comfortable in the technical side of filmmaking, with his ultimate goal being to become a director of photography or to work in a field that handles cameras. His recent films, including "Something in the Flowers" and the documentary "Return of a Large Format", have been featured in several film festivals. "Something in the Flowers" even won a Gold Telly award. After graduating from CCAD, Andrew doesn’t expect to land his dream job right away. Instead, he plans to find a day job that highlights his filmmaking strengths and work his way up to a career he loves.
Fine Arts
Growing up in the foothills of Appalachia on a little farm in Southeastern Ohio, Sydney Quackenbush was practically born with an innate connection to the natural world. Traveling to parks and historical sites around Ohio, West Virginia, and other neighboring states with her family sparked her passion for exploring the region's rich history, and she was so infatuated that she decided she wanted to find a way to influence the protection and conservation of Appalachia's unique landscape, history, wildlife, and cultural practices through art.
During her time at CCAD, she had the privilege of experimenting with many forms of media, from charcoal drawings to ceramics, and found her niche within the sculptural realm. Now, she utilizes a mixture of ceramic, foraged materials, and other sculptural media as a way to invite viewers to reflect on the intricate relationship between humanity, the land we inhabit, and those we share it with. With her gathered experience in both gallery settings and art festivals across Ohio and West Virginia, she hopes to continue sharing her work with others who also admire the Appalachian region.
Game Art & Design
Connor Franklin is a CCAD Game Art & Design student, hailing from the distant land of Columbus... Indiana. In 2020, Connor began his senior year at Columbus North High School. He took a 3D animation class because it seemed fun and new to him. Little did he know it would inspire him on the journey of a lifetime.
From there, he ventured to another Columbus in search of honing the craft that he had begun. He came to CCAD to study 3D animation; he enjoyed 3D art but wanted to explore it in a different yet familiar way. Thus, he switched to CCAD’s Game Art & Design program, and the rest is history. He fell in love with the interweaving possibilities, mechanics, systems, and interactivity games brought to the table and how they could interact with 3D art on a much deeper level. From there, he learned the ins and outs of game design and 3D game art production through the creative lens of his professors. Throughout his studies, he participated in many Game Jams, winning a Game Jammin’ Veteran award at the first annual GAD Awards, helped run the Game Creator’s Guild at CCAD as Vice President, and even helped table for CCAD at GDex in 2024.
From here, Connor wishes to continue his quest in game design and 3D art. He seeks a 3D or design related role in the video game industry, be it at a AAA studio or in indie game development.
Graphic Design & Co-Valedictorian
Eli Gamble grew up in Westerville, Ohio, where he fell in love with art through fine art and journalism classes in high school. These early experiences helped him develop both digital and traditional art skills, which eventually led him to pursue a degree in Graphic Design at CCAD. His time at CCAD was both rewarding and challenging, pushing him to grow not just as an artist, but as a person. Throughout this journey, Eli’s friends and family provided unwavering support, encouraging him every step of the way.
While at CCAD, Eli explored a wide range of disciplines, including typography, branding, content marketing, and photography. His interest in photography grew as he discovered how powerful visuals can enhance a narrative. Along the way, he learned a valuable lesson: when you add value to your art, you add value to your identity—something that has shaped how he approaches his work.
Eli gained hands-on experience as a graphic designer and photographer at CCAD’s Student Agency and as a Social Media Manager and Content Creator for Pitabilities, a local Mediterranean food truck. One of his many achievements was serving as the head designer for CCAD’s new brand guidelines, a project that earned recognition at Columbus Society for Communicating Arts’ Creative Best Awards.
After graduation, Eli plans to continue freelancing, making personal art, and finding a meaningful role in the graphic design industry. He’s excited to use his creative talents to make a lasting impact in the Columbus community.
Illustration
Mal O'Brien is an illustrator from Weirton, West Virginia. From a young age she was enamored by the drawings in her books and games, which grew into a want to create these things herself. Her mother always encouraged her to keep drawing, and eventually pursue an arts education instead of a traditional college path.
During her time at CCAD, she has taken many classes to help her grow, including ones outside her major of illustration, such as motion, fine art, and graphic design courses. She was grateful for two of her pieces to be selected for last year's annual Art of Illustration show at Blockfort Gallery, as well as having an animated piece projected over a mural at Cincinnati's 2024 BLINK festival.
Mal is a true illustrator in the historical sense and a contemporary storyteller. Mal has been recognized for upholding the values championed in the CCAD Illustration Department; kindness, curiosity, collaboration, community, and hard work. Currently she is finding success as a freelancer and hopes to continue growing and find new opportunities post graduation.
Industrial Design (Product Design)
Ayuka Shichinohe is a transfer student from Huntsville, Alabama. Before transferring, she studied animation, painting, sculpture, and graphic design. She transferred to CCAD to pursue illustration and, ultimately, industrial design.
Throughout her college journey, she let her curiosity drive her, taking classes and participating in clubs in almost every major at CCAD. In 2023, she started working for CCAD’s marketing and communications department as a social media content creator, creating nearly 100 videos for CCAD’s social media channels. This sparked her passion for social media and led her to take on local businesses as clients, with two videos receiving an award at the Columbus Society for Communicating Arts’ Creative Best awards in 2024.
Still dedicated to painting, her painting for SCRAWL 2023 won both the Artist Choice Award and the Fan Favorite award and sold for $2.3K benefiting Franklinton Arts District near campus. During the summer months she interned as a designer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 2023 and Roto in 2024. Both of these internship opportunities led her to new freelance clients with local businesses.
Her most notable achievement during her time at CCAD is starting her own plushie business, Fish With Legs. She has sold out at craft markets and continuously fulfills orders through online retail. For the entirety of May 2025, she is hosting a pop-up retail shop and exhibit experience partnering with 934 Gallery.
After graduating, she plans to continue working freelance, keep growing Fish With Legs and seek full time opportunities as she stays curious and enjoys the journey.
Interior Architecture & Design
Ellie Knotts was born and raised in Ohio and began her college journey at Columbus State, initially majoring in Speech and Hearing Pathology. However, after her first semester, she realized that the medical field was not the right path for her. She then redirected her focus toward her true passion—design. After exploring the programs available at the CCAD, Ellie chose to pursue a major in CCAD’s Interior Design & Architecture program, enrolling in 2021.
During her freshman year, Ellie developed an interest in 3D making and furniture design. Taking advantage of the diverse courses offered at CCAD, she explored these interests through ceramics, model making, and a furniture-building class. These experiences allowed Ellie to refine her skills and apply them to the interior spaces she designs.
Ellie further expanded her craft by interning at a furniture design company, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in furniture manufacturing. After graduation, Ellie plans to pursue a full-time position with an interior design team that integrates both digital and physical design practices into creating their interior spaces.
Photography
Nicholas Bungart was born and raised in the city where he currently resides – Grove City, Ohio. Though he never initially considered making art, he used the camera as a tool for documentation and exploration, capturing the world around him. His inspiration largely stems from his uncle, a professional photographer with a degree in photography, and his father, who always had a camera in hand throughout Nick’s life.
The photography department has been one of the most enriching experiences of his life and education. Through extensive experimentation with both film and digital photography, he has developed a strong technical foundation. His work often explores the balance between the man-made and natural world, focusing on landscapes, nature, and architecture. Some of his most notable projects include a photographic sequence of the total solar eclipse in April 2024, the total lunar eclipse in March 2025, and his capstone project featuring nightscape photography of the Milky Way and the true night sky.
Nick's talent has been recognized with several awards, including the Creative Best 2024 Award of Excellence in Lifestyle Photography for an Environmental Subject and an Award of Excellence in Student Photography for Studio Work.
After graduation, he plans to pursue an assistant role, travel for landscape photography, and/or work as a freelance retoucher.
Co-Valedictorian
Layla Updyke began her college career after being raised in Beavercreek, OH, arriving at CCAD in fall 2021. After showing interest in creating visual development in high school, Layla decided to take the next step in her life, majoring in CCAD’s Illustration program with a focus on character and environment design.
During her time at CCAD, Layla became immersed in the community that CCAD fostered, becoming a Resident Advisor for the college. She grew with the others around her and enjoyed exploring various fields of study. One field she had not considered, animation and motion design, led to participating in the BLINK 24 projector animation project for Cincinnati. Along this path, she earned recognition for her work, including various exhibitions in CCAD’s annual end-of-year student exhibition, Chroma: Best of CCAD, and her work has been featured in publications, such as Botticelli. Continuing in her search for new experiences, Layla found herself working alongside other artists at CCAD’s 2024 Art Fair & Marketplace, selling her products to the community while progressing her career skills.
Her goal in her college career was to create a portfolio full of life, energy, and self expression in her illustrations. After achieving her dream of graduating from CCAD, Layla plans on continuing her artistic journey, seeking a full time position on a studio team where she can thrive to create a line of pieces she can be proud to showcase.
