Durham, N.C.—Members of the Campbell University chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) attended a special event titled “Students Unite” at the top-ranked McKinney Advertising agency in Durham, N.C. Sponsored by the regional AIGA Chapter in Raleigh, N.C., the event was held Wednesday, Nov. 17. (Article continued below image.)
AIGA is a national organization for students and professionals committed to advancing design and the design profession.
Students Tyler Merry and Katherine Ellis learned a lot from the Students Unite event. Merry, a senior Graphic Design/Studio Art major from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., said approximately 50-75 students from schools all over the eastern part of the state attended, as well as members of the AIGA board and the McKinney Advertising group.
“The purpose of the meeting was for students to meet other design students as well as board members,” Merry said. “One thing students took away from this meet up was the opportunity to exchange information with others who are in the same situation.”
Ellis, a Graphic Design/Studio Art major from Advance, N.C., said the meeting was a great professional opportunity to network and make contacts in the business. “It was important to learn more about how to become an AIGA student group and all of the benefits of being in a student group,” Ellis said.
Both Ellis and Merry, who are seniors, want to enter the graphic design field when they graduate. Merry would like to become a web designer, either self-employed or with a design agency.
“AIGA as a whole has several advantages,” said Merry. “The one that most students utilize is the assistance it offers them when they are ready to transition from college student status to entry level designer.”
Merry said he was happy to meet people in the business willing to help him hone his skills as a designer.
“Hopefully these connections will make me better at my craft, as well as ease the plunge into the job market,” he said.