The day has finally arrived, folks. Today is my last day as a design STA. It’s crazy to look back at where I was last year when I first started and see how much I’ve grown as a designer and as a person. I will always be grateful to the STA program for opening so many doors for me. A lot of thank-you’s are due, so here goes. Thank you to Abriella for introducing me to the program and putting in a good word for me. A huge thank you to Suloni, Maddy, and Valerie for taking a chance on me and hiring me as an STA. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for this opportunity. Thank you to all the staffers at LAITS who have worked with me. Your expertise is invaluable, and I’ve learned so much from working with you. Lastly, thank you to all my fellow STAs for your collaboration and for the fun memories.

Goodbyes

Valerie: Thank you so, so much for all your guidance over the past year, and for all the fun conversations throughout the day. I always looked forward to hearing about what you were up to and loved all the recommendations on everything. You are such a talented designer and illustrator, and I gained so much knowledge from me, from design guidance to AfterEffects tips to good workplace advice. I wish you all the best on your next chapter, and I hope your unique earring collection keeps growing!

De’sha: You were the first person to teach me how to work in the STA program, from walking me through course graphic training to introducing the UTFC program to me. I was so happy to hear of your return as an STA supervisor, and LAITS will be lucky to have you. You are such a hard worker, and your attention to detail truly inspires me. I know you’ll go far wherever life takes you. Keep rocking on as the queen of all things pink!

Leilani: My fellow hired-at-the-same-time bud! It was so nice having someone else go through the learning curve alongside me. You are such a cool person (impeccable style and incredible art skills!), and I loved working as well as taking classes with you. I hope your capstone experience works out. Tell your kitties I said hi!

Thang: You are an insanely good web developer! I was always blown away by your hard work and your ability to explain your work in such a clear way at the weekly meetings. I also really enjoyed running into you around campus and chatting about football with you!

Carrie: Another fellow design bud! You’re always a pleasure to be around, whether in class or at work. I have so much respect for your UI/UX skills and your unique design sensibilities. Best of luck on capstone next year (I know you’ll do so well). Thanks for being my desk buddy!

Lorena: You are always such a pleasure to talk to, and your Illustrator skills are legendary! I hope you had a great experience this summer, and best of luck on your filmmaking and on your senior year.

Marissa: You are so talented as an artist, an illustrator, and as a designer. I know you’ll go far in any creative field you decide to pursue. I always enjoyed seeing you around the art building. I hope you had a great time studying abroad!

Isaiah: I am so impressed by how quickly you learned coding languages and software. It was always nice having you in the STA office. I hope you grow in your skills as a designer and as a web developer!

Adrian: If you’re reading this, I hope you’re doing well at your new job. Thank you for always answering my questions on Slack and fixing Box permissions links. Best of luck on all your bread-baking, spreadsheet-making, and fabric-dyeing!

Maddy: Thank you for all the guidance and support this past year. Being able to work on meaningful, large-scale projects with you, like the TXDST website and summer marketing graphics, was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had. Your art direction has helped me grow so much as a designer. I hope you’re doing well at your new position. Best of luck on all your printmaking and sign-painting adventures!

Danielle: I was always impressed by your hard work and expertise while you were an STA. I wish you success on all your endeavors!

Now what?

I’ll be attending the University of Illinois to pursue a master’s in library and information sciences, with an emphasis in special collections and academic librarianship. I hope to work at a university or a museum library as a fine arts librarian. My work at LAITS has prepared me so well for my future, and graduate school would not have been possible without the experience gained here.

Bye y’all! Have a good one!