Pathway Deep Dive: Students Discuss Skills Earned in Graphic Design Courses

Ella Childress, Reporter • November 5, 2024

As he works on an assignment, junior Jonas Gomez designs postcards Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the digital media class.

As students begin to choose pathways for 2025-2026 school year, students are encouraged to select an endorsement pathway to help them earn an industry based certificate by the time they leave high school.

Students can select from any of the 18 different pathways offered during course selection, and one of these pathways includes graphic design, which offers students several skills beyond the classroom. As a part of the endorsement practicum classes, student were able to reach out to community business owners to apply for internships.

“We had to go in for interviews consecutively, almost every other week,” senior graphic design student Mia Mateo said. “It was a good experience, and we learned a lot about interviewing. I interviewed for this company called Legacy Land and Title, and I really wanted the job, and I got it.”

Mateo said she likes being creative, and graphic design allowed her to combine her artistic creativity with practical skills. Through her job, Mateo said she is able to practice the skills she learned in the class.

“It is nice having the experience to where if I were to work for another company, I could successfully be able to manage their pages and turn ideas into things that are marketable,” Mateo said. “I enjoy doing it, so it is definitely something that I consider doing in the future as a career or just as an extra hobby on the side to make some extra income.”

Graphic design teacher Elmi Martinez has taught in this field for 17 years, and she the skills students learn are lifetime skills once they learn the material.

“You can go into marketing, a lot of students will now join a marketing team for businesses and work in their marketing department,” Martinez said “You can work in communications. Every business needs some sort of marketing to be successful.”

Martinez also said students learn the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, and graphic design student junior Addison Russ said she’s enjoyed several of the projects in the class and how far she’s come during in her time in the pathway as a freshman.

“In this class I have learned how to edit things well and how to draw on a computer which is something I have always wanted to be able to do,” Russ said. “I would try to make it a career of some sort. It would be something fun for me to do, and I seem to really like it.”

Martinez said “it’s a big responsibility on the business” to take on interns, and Mateo said she is grateful Aaron Valencia with Legacy Land and Title took that chance on her.

“I love it everyday,” Mateo said. “I love my boss and I love everyone who works there. They are a great team of people.”

Students are able to become certified in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator in their digital media class and in Adobe InDesign in their graphic design class, and to learn more about the pathway, click here.

There are 2,309 students enrolled in at least one CTE course this year, and several students are involved in multiple courses that cross career clusters:

Career Clusters: