BFA Portfolio Show
2023-2024 Graduates
Welcome to our Portfolio Show featuring the creative work of our BFA degree program graduates. Thank you for helping to celebrate our BFA graduates and exploring their creative work through this webpage.
We extend deep appreciation to our faculty members who inspired and encouraged students throughout their academic journey. To our BFA graduates—Job Well Done!!! Thank you for leveraging your technical and conceptual skills in order to produce professionally focused work aligned with your career goals. We wish all our graduates great success as they launch or advance their creative careers!
Micky Jordan
Dena Irby
Kelly Turpin
Kristin Weidemann
Robert Castro
McKenzie Maselka
Jaclyn Marr
Oscar Merritt
Sally Alawadi
Samantha Nelson
Tammy Keim
Iliana Franco
Victor Ramos
Eric Azure Moreno
Jacob Ramirez
Sidney Thayn
Erika McNamara
Alejandra Villagra
Cedric Walker
Kristin McKellar
Kylie Welsh
Pernell Andrews
Micky Jordan
Durham, NC
BFA in Graphic Design
My name is Micky Jordan. I’m a Black, queer, and Southerner graphic artist and communicator who believes that art can open the door to making liberation in our lifetime a reality. In my approach to graphic design & communications, I believe the experiences of impacted communities must always be centered. Good visual identity design & storytelling should showcase the values of an organization, campaign, or business, give their audiences a chance to see themselves, shift cultural narratives, and, when needed, move the people into taking action.
Portfolio Samples
Dena Irby
Houston, TX
BFA in Graphic Design
I am a creative, passionate, and detail-oriented designer with experience in both graphic and instructional design. I am in the process of expanding my graphic design skillset into the instructional design space. As an artist from birth, things just don’t feel right if I’m not designing something.
Portfolio Samples
Kelly Turpin
Port Saint Lucie, FL
BFA in Graphic Design
I was born in southern California, an artist from an early age. I graduated high school a year early and joined the Air Force. I spent a few great years overseas in Okinawa, Japan, and then found my way to the East Coast of the United States, spending several years in various states before making my way to Florida. Once out of the military, I again began pursuing my interest in various art forms from quilting and cake decorating to web design, illustration and graphic design. I love designing identities and websites, as well as print media – posters, brochures, and flyers. I’m fluent in HTML and CSS, and proficient with Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and InDesign. I love creating in various forms! I’m now settled in Florida with my 2 children and a small menagerie of animals
Portfolio Samples
Kristin Weidemann
Nashville, TN
BFA in Graphic Design
Kristin Weidemann is a Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Product Photographer who is passionate about creating unique and beautiful design solutions for brands.
Portfolio Samples
Robert Castro
Arizona, MA
BFA in Graphic Design
Robert Castro is a graphic designer based in Arizona. He currently leads his own design business and online marketplace. Castro believes design and creative thinking has the ability to empower smaller brands and individuals that need any level of design work.
Portfolio Samples
McKenzie Maselka
Acworth, GA
BFA in Illustration
I am a 2D Illustrator who specializes in Character Design. I pride myself on being able to draw anyone and everyone no matter what body type, race, gender, disability, and/or other features they have; including animals and fantastical elements. My art is meant to be something that can bring ideas to life or allow people to see themselves in. I want my art to inspire and excite all who interact with it.
Portfolio Samples
Jaclyn Marr
Salisbury, MA
BFA in Illustration
Jaclyn Marr is an illustrator who creates worlds of magical forests and brave animal friends. Her work is often centered around themes of nostalgia, home, and the tranquil woods of New England. She is influenced by folk tales, mysticism, and quilt patterns. She creates work that invites the viewer into scenes where they can explore the wonders of the natural world and meet the friendly creatures who live there. She creates her images by working with traditional and digital mediums.
Portfolio Samples
Oscar Merritt
Guyton, GA
BFA in Graphic Design
I am a graphic designer with a head inspired by the art of storytelling and the pursuit of visual excellence. I turn ideas into attractive designs that leave a good impression. As an artist and creator, my expertise lies in blending innovative concepts with strategic thinking. I provide compelling solutions visually, from brand identity to advertising campaigns. I have a strong foundation in typography, color theory, and composition, which is the basis of all graphic design pieces. I love crafting coherent and impressive designs. My mission is to help the masses by creating a harmonious layout of creativity and artistry.
Portfolio Samples
Sally Alawadi
Visalia, CA
BFA in Graphic Design
As a graphic artist, I create visuals by blending images, colors, shapes, and typography to create compelling narratives. I believe that a logo or social media banner is not just an image: it’s a powerful indicator of the identity, values, and aspirations of my clients.
Portfolio Samples
Samantha Nelson
Misawa, Japan
BFA in Graphic Design
Samantha is a highly motivated graphic designer focused on helping her clients, just starting out or fully established, engage their target market on a deeper level. To do so, she takes the time to fully understand the company and their goals to not only find a creative solution they’ll love, but also one that produces results. Currently residing in Japan, she has had the incredible opportunity to deepen her understanding of another culture. While this has allowed for an increased sensitivity for international clients, she also values the ability to work remotely for anyone in need of a design solution.
Portfolio Samples
Tammy Keim
Millersburg, OH
BFA in Illustration
I’ve always loved and appreciated art in its many forms. I started working for a church a few years ago, and slowly started doing small graphic design projects. As it turned out, I loved graphic design and started to gain knowledge through experience and a LOT of Googling. I never actually had any formal training until I started my courses at Sessions, and now I have a solid basis of graphic design knowledge and technique.
Portfolio Samples
Iliana Franco
Rexburg, ID
BFA in Illustration
I like to tell stories, so I write novels by drawing pictures. The best stories, in my opinion, are those that are told with some bit of exaggeration. They might not be strictly true to life, but they’re authentic to the emotions those stories are meant to invoke. I like drawing with a similar mindset–with bold strokes but just enough details to add complexity. I like to stylize my figures just enough to be accurate to the feelings being expressed by the characters, keeping their faces bold and simple, but I read somewhere that story is in the details, so I add them in their clothes or backgrounds.
Portfolio Samples
Victor Ramos
Victorville, CA
BFA Graphic Design
Design has always been with me since childhood and has evolved as I grew older. As a graphic designer, I’ve been exposed to new things throughout the years and they have helped evolve my works in ways I thought I would never achieve. With the knowledge I have now and the confidence that continues to grow, there are no limit to my ideas. My brand, Victor’s Visions, reflects my creativity, knowledge and dreams and will continue to succeed as I step into the future. With my current job as a screen printer and the opportunity to freelance through my employer, many doors continue to open for me and allow my mind to open up to exciting surprises. “Dedicated to my abuelita and my mother, both who have passed away during my journey in graphic design (2020 – 2023). I miss you and love you both and I wish you both were still here to enjoy this moment with me.”
Portfolio Samples
Eric Azure
Corpus Christi, TX
BFA Graphic Design
Eric Moreno “Azure”, has always had a interest in the power of design and how it shapes ourselves, and the world around us. The emotions, and stories that every line, shape, word, color, and layout can express. It is his life-long desire to bring designs full of expression to life, and work with clients on projects that will breathe life into the world. He has a deep passion for experiencing new ideas with clients, and creating friendships with creative minds. When not working on design, he is creating creating music as the front-man of his band Design The Skyline, working on his re-selling business Loot Land, reading books and consuming media.
Portfolio Samples
Jacob Ramirez
Chandler, Arizona
BFA Graphic Design
I am graphic designer from Chandler, AZ. I specialize in logo design and brand development. My background and passion projects have so far revolved around merchandise design. A Jake of all traits, said only by myself. I like to think of myself as a team player, open-minded, and forward thinking designer with a drive that just won’t quit. Endlessly inspired by the beauty and versatility of the land around me, I pour myself into creations that fuse my passion for adventure with a unique essence of the Sonoran Desert. Design is all around us, and as creative communicators its absolutely vital for our designs to be original, legible, and cutting edge.
Portfolio Samples
Sidney Thayn
Heber Valley, Utah
BFA Graphic Design
Whether it’s a beautiful princess or a terrible monster, character design has been a passion of mine since I was young. I’ve worked as a character designer since 2015 and with each character came a new story. I’ve collaborated with truly amazing artists in the past and would love to do it again. Please take a look around my portfolio! It is my goal to make a character that is personal to my clients and for those characters to be used for whatever the client sees fit. These designs can be used to create stickers and full or flat minis to be used on a map. I am based in Heber Valley, Utah.
Portfolio Samples
Erika McNamara
Montague, NJ
BFA Graphic Design
I’m an artist in every sense of the term and graphic design has given me a new outlet to create beautiful pieces in a more meaningful and impactful way. When I look at the world around me, everything is by design, and to understand something so calculated, to be a part of it, allows me to be the designer that I am.
Portfolio Samples
Alejandra Villagra
Bend, Oregon
BFA Graphic Design
As I’ve grown in my design and my processes going bright and bold and not be scared of what I’m creating. I’ve always been creative and always have had some sort of design or art in my life from my dad being a typography/screen printer/sign painter when I was younger to me pursuing a graphic Design degree. I took a 5 year break but now I’m finally finishing things up. I’m currently working as a print assistant and doing freelance work on the side and interning at a printmaking studio and gallery.
Portfolio Samples
Cedric Walker
New Orleans, Louisiana
BFA Graphic Design
As a visual artist and graphic designer, I try to create designs that will be attractive and memorable. Once I get a feel for what it is that a client is hoping to achieve through the design, I get a mental picture of this before creating the actual design. I use colors in a way that will immediately draw one’s attention. I use irregular lines in my designs so that the design will be interesting and not predictable. My designs are intended to leave a lasting and memorable impression on all who will see it.
Portfolio Samples
Kristin McKellar
Mission Viejo, California
BFA Graphic Design
I am a graphic designer specializing in layout/publication design, packaging design, and photo manipulation with a fierce love for concept art. Each new client and project brings about the questions of “What is the right design solution?” and “How can I give the viewer the best possible experience while staying true to the message?”.
Design is not superfluous; it is necessary and personal. It is a powerful language that can evoke visceral emotions, and so it must be treated with respect and honesty. Every design challenges me to be authentic and leave a little bit of myself within. I strive to create an experience every time I put pen to paper or mouse to screen. I strive to make people think, smile, and perhaps add a little wonder to the world.
Portfolio Samples
Kylie Welsh
Wildomar, California
BFA Graphic Design
I am a graphic designer allured by the effects of good design. Good design makes the unfamiliar, familiar. The complex becomes simple. It can charm, inspire, and empower us. What I love about being a designer is taking a client on a visual, expressive journey with me.
I take a creative brief and internalize both the emotional and visual goals. I dissect all the important parts from what’s needed and create a solid narrative that elicits the emotional goals. Extra attention is paid to design principles to achieve the visual goals. Once this harmony of components intertwines… the result? Good design.
Portfolio Samples
Pernell Andrews
Covington, Georgia
BFA Graphic Design
I operate under the belief that great design ultimately makes the world a better place to live by always focusing on both form and function. I am wholeheartedly dedicated to creating work that matters. I specialize in brand strategy, art direction, graphic design, illustration, and production across all platforms.
I am adept at creating & illustrating memorable identify brands and I will always ensure brands are polished, professional, and consistently reproducible for years to come. My portfolio reflects my skills in designing distinct logos, creative illustrations, and layouts for magazine ads and other print media.