the commonwealth times
(2022 — 2024)
i was given the amazing opportunity to become a graphic designer for virginia commonwealth university’s student media center in 2022, then was promoted to art director where i worked on amazing projects like the commonwealth times.
i managed and supervised a team of designers and curated layouts for the printed newspaper biweekly in addition to creating social media graphics biweekly. every week i assigned new roles to the designers to constantly stimulate our creativity with brand new ideas for each section — news, sports, spectrum, opinions and humor. brainstorming ideas for illustrations is also part of the role and then using those amazing illustrations to compliment our work.
each year it is a tradition for the CT to publish special issues for Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March. i had the privilege of curating a brand new style guide for these issues from scratch, researching and using type specifically from Black type designers for Black History Month and female type designers for Women’s History Month.
in addition to creating design projects for the CT, i was also responsible for other student publications organized at the Student Media Center. as art director, i organized team meetings and incorporated the editor in chief’s visions intended for their publication. i practiced organizing files for print and assured that they excel in quality, meeting their standards.
it was an absolute honor to have worked with such amazing people throughout my time at the student media center and i am so thankful to have worked on so many astonishing projects that i am incredibly proud of.
i managed and supervised a team of designers and curated layouts for the printed newspaper biweekly in addition to creating social media graphics biweekly. every week i assigned new roles to the designers to constantly stimulate our creativity with brand new ideas for each section — news, sports, spectrum, opinions and humor. brainstorming ideas for illustrations is also part of the role and then using those amazing illustrations to compliment our work.
each year it is a tradition for the CT to publish special issues for Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March. i had the privilege of curating a brand new style guide for these issues from scratch, researching and using type specifically from Black type designers for Black History Month and female type designers for Women’s History Month.
in addition to creating design projects for the CT, i was also responsible for other student publications organized at the Student Media Center. as art director, i organized team meetings and incorporated the editor in chief’s visions intended for their publication. i practiced organizing files for print and assured that they excel in quality, meeting their standards.
it was an absolute honor to have worked with such amazing people throughout my time at the student media center and i am so thankful to have worked on so many astonishing projects that i am incredibly proud of.
awards:
VCU Student Media Center Awards 2024
Designer of the Year
Excellence in Field of Study
Virginia Press Association News and Advertising Contest 2024
1st Place Front Page — Black History Month; Women’s History Month; April 24th, 2024 issue
College Media Association Pinnacle Awards 2024
1st Place Best Newspaper Nameplate — Black History Month issue
3rd Place Best Newspaper Entertainment Spread — January 31, 2024
Honorable Mention Best Special Section — Black History Month issue
The Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award 2024
1st Place Best Magazine — Emanata, Ruin
Society for News Design College Design Contest 2024
2nd Place Student Newspaper of the Year
3rd Place Special Newspaper Section — Women’s History Month issue
The David L. Adams Apple Award 2024
Honorable Mention Best Newspaper — Black History Month issue
Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show Award 2023
5th Place Reporting: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
