Commentary by Kelly Wilkinson
As a graphic design student, I never thought I would fit in at a newsroom, but right before the summer of my sophomore year, I made a decision to become involved on campus rather than continuing to be a recluse.
Then, with almost uncanny timing, Becca Morrow and Laura Zerlin came to my typography class to talk about the fact that The Sentinel was hiring designers for their team. I had never applied for a job so fast in my life.
Now let me start off by saying that as a graphic design student in the art program at KSU, your workload is pretty intense. Multiple three-hour studio classes on all kinds of specific topics make you feel like there’s no way you’ll be hired until you’ve mastered them all. At least that was my experience.
So when I applied and was called in for an interview for a designer position at what I’d found to be a very well designed publication, my confidence in my skills was simultaneously the highest and lowest it had ever been.
These people were so fun and talented. It was instantly clear that I’d love working here, but I’d never worked as a designer in a professional setting before. What if I wasn’t cut out for it? All this was running through my head as I sat down to design my section for the first time, but Becca was an amazing teacher. She had confidence in my skills when I had none, and she got me through it.
Her confidence in me is also the reason I’m writing this as the production manager. When she told me I was her choice to be the next manager, I thought I’d misheard her.
At this point you may have noticed that my confidence as a designer was very low. Prior to getting hired at The Sentinel I had applied to be in the graphic communications concentration within the school or art and design, but my portfolio was rejected. This threw a bit of wrench in my plans at KSU, not to mention what was already a heavily damaged self-confidence level in my ability to be a designer. Being hired one summer and promoted the next really made me believe in my ability to design.
My time here has been fantastic. I love everyone I’ve worked with, and I’ve had so many great experiences. The friends and contacts I’ve made here will hopefully last a long time. I’ve gained skills that have already proven valuable in my post-graduate work life. As a creative professional, it’s a valuable thing to work somewhere that really believes in you as an individual and wants to help you build your portfolio. Something that I really tried to do while I was there was recruit heavily from the art program, as I feel we’re often the forgotten college on campus. I’m glad to leave knowing that The Sentinel is a respected name in the art building now, and I go with the hope that can be to many other designer students what it has been for me.
I really believe in The Sentinel as an organization. Working there is challenging and rewarding. The people there go on to do great things, like working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or the Marietta Daily Journal. It really provides a manageable stepping-stone between being a student and becoming a professional, minus the characteristics of a typical unpaid internship where you fetch coffee and never get to touch any actual work. I gained real world experience, but it didn’t interfere with my very hectic student schedule.
I’m a bit sad to be leaving now when I still have some many friends there, including my sister who has become the new Arts & Living Editor. I’m proud to be a KSU Alumnus and veteran of such an amazing organization as Student Media. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with such amazing people and for giving me my confidence back.
