I started my college experience in 2018 at SOWELA Technical Community College with a focus in Graphic Design. I was inspired by my girlfriend, who I now have the privilege of calling my wife, as she was also majoring in Graphic Design at McNeese State University. I was excited to learn and hone my skills as a designer. Within four years, I took close to every class in the digital media field that SOWELA offered, from basic design principles to video composition and editing. I fully embraced my degree and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my educational journey.

While attending school, I worked full time at L’Auberge Casino Resort to pay my way through school. I like to include this as part of my college learning experience because I developed key skills in teamwork, creative problem-solving, organization, time management, and thriving in a fast-paced environment.

While I learned about the principles of design and techniques to improve my pieces, I started taking freelance design jobs. These projects included email banners, local club t-shirts, and business logos. Working with clients provided me with valuable insight into the realities of being a graphic designer.

Towards the end of my time at SOWELA, I worked at the American Press, a local newspaper company. I was taught to paginate the newspaper for print production and to create ads for local businesses. My responsibilities included creating ads for three local newspapers in the surrounding areas, designing and paginating the Lake Charles monthly magazine along with its ads, and assembling and formatting the two weekly newspapers for surrounding areas. I dedicated my time at American Press, working long shifts to ensure our clients’ advertisements were effectively represented in our published materials.

In March 2022, I decided to take the next step in my professional journey with Bayou Technologies. My goal was to work in an advertising agency as I saw it as an excellent opportunity to grow and develop as a designer.

In the first six months, I designed billboards, digital advertising, and social media posts. I created ads for clients with strict legal guidelines, including medical marijuana pharmacies, law firms, franchises, exclusive membership-based restaurants, and our own advertising agency. With my demonstrated determination and teamwork, I was then promoted to Senior Designer.

In October 2022, I was promoted to Creative Director after identifying a gap and advocating for the creation of the role, which had not existed before. Leading a team of creatives came with its own set of challenges, but I found the experience to be rewarding. I was promoted to Marketing Director in September 2023 where I gained hands-on experience in the core operations of the small business, actively participating in discussions about day-to-day activities and internal processes while managing a team of 10 people.

As Marketing Director, I have gained invaluable leadership experience in the creative field. I actively motivate my team to continually improve our craft and strengthen our contributions to the company. We prioritize collaboration and growth, learning from one another with every opportunity. We were even able to set up a podcast studio where we have hosted various guests from around the area to help with the recording and production of their episodes. I am proud of having led my team to stay relevant with media trends and gaining valuable experience in doing so.

I like to describe my creative style the same way I describe my music taste: diverse. My interest in music spans across a variety of genres and inspirations. I love simple vector icons just as much as multi-layer Frankenstein-like photoshop projects. My attention lies in the details and the surrounding area of my art boards looks like an organized explosion.

While attending SOWELA, my design professor gave a lecture on the concept of creating within constraints. This inspired me to believe that a designer’s technical skills and understanding of design principles are only half of what’s needed for success. The other half is how well you work under pressure and within the parameters given by the client. Since that lecture, I’ve viewed client creative briefs as my “box”—the parameters within which I work to deliver their vision. These constraints also serve as a benchmark for evaluating the success of a project once it’s completed, allowing me to compare the final product against the original guidelines.