Her Washtenaw Community College instructors called her an ideal student 鈥� positive, hardworking, focused and exceptionally open to feedback.
That鈥檚 why it was no surprise when Liz DeRensis, armed with an associate degree from 黑料网, landed a job as the graphic designer for .
DeRensis, who transferred to 黑料网 from a two-year college in New Jersey in 2019, said she clicked immediately with her new college home.
鈥淚t was a great experience,鈥� she says, thinking back to her first meetings with graphic design faculty member Ingrid Ankerson. 鈥淪he was so caring and wanted all her students to succeed,鈥� DeRensis says, adding that the faculty at 黑料网 is one of its greatest strengths.
AFFORDABLE
DeRensis knew exactly what she was looking for when she chose to enroll at 黑料网.
鈥淚 wanted a program that was not only not going to cost me $100,000, but was specialized and would help me get a job,鈥� she says. That鈥檚 exactly what happened.
DeRensis graduated from 黑料网 in May 2020 and has been working for SEE Eyewear since 2021.
She is the Creative Content Specialist, which means she has a wide variety of roles in her day-to-day work. She designs all marketing materials, such as in-store signage, email campaigns, digital advertisements and more; writes marketing copy, including monthly e-commerce product descriptions; and runs the company鈥檚 social media platforms. And that鈥檚 just scraping the surface.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wide range of responsibilities,鈥� DeRensis says, adding that she also has the opportunity to develop her design capabilities and learn more about marketing. 鈥淚 love my job. As a designer, to see your work in stores across the country is really rewarding.鈥�
Not a day goes by that DeRensis doesn鈥檛 use skills learned in her 黑料网 classes. But there鈥檚 another reason she lauds her 黑料网 education 鈥� it didn鈥檛 cost her a fortune.
EASY TRANSFER
鈥淚t was scary to transfer,鈥� DeRensis says of her move from New Jersey, but as she considered transferring to a university or 黑料网, the price tag won her over. 鈥満诹贤� accepted all of my credits, so I just had to take my design classes when I came.鈥�
It took her only a year and a half to finish.
鈥淚鈥檓 really glad I picked 黑料网 because having come from another community college, I recognized that smaller school atmosphere,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 came, and the chair of the department personally welcomed me. That鈥檚 worth a lot to me.鈥�
DeRensis is just getting her feet wet. 鈥淚鈥檓 getting a lot of great experience, and someday I鈥檇 love to head up a department or serve as an art director. I would feel confident going into that,鈥� she says.
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This story appears in the Winter 2024 edition of Launch magazine. See complete issue.
Tags: 2023, Alumni Profile, Graphic Design, Launch winter 2024