Why Graphic Design?

My junior year of high school I was an indecisive teenager whose plan was to attend a 2-year program and become a flight attendant. That plan didn’t work out, obviously, because that same year I was given the opportunity to become a college student for 4 days. At Syracuse. Prior to this opportunity, I had never heard of Syracuse, much less Newhouse and this opportunity made me realize that I wanted to do something in the field of communications. I’ve always had a passion for art in my heart but never thought I could turn it into a career. My parents have always been artistically oriented, as both of them worked in the communications field as graphic designers, photographers, and publicists. My mother is a words person, as well, with a job in translation and editing. So basically, it’s in my blood. My senior year of high school I applied to Syracuse and Newhouse, got accepted, and here I am. However, by senior year I was bouncing between communication majors, still indecisive. That year was crucial for me, I was the editor-in-chief of my school yearbook and one of the driving forces that put me in the graphic design path.

I entered my freshman year of high school undecided and tried out different things, from advertising to magazine, but I soon realized that I kept going back to the one thing that has been there my whole life: graphic design. With graphics, I have seen how it moves people and the power it has to convey a message in such a way that it pushes people to purchase things, follow different choices, change their mind about certain ideas, and more. The ability to put together sleek, though-out, detailed designs is power, and I want to use that power for the better.