What Our Grads Say

Andrew Cramer, Master of Design (M.Des), Communication Planning and Information Design and Art Department Alumnus (‘03), is senior user experience designer at Case Commons (casecommons.org.) Andrew first developed his long-standing interest in the intersection of design and social impact while working as a design consultant.  He saw first-hand the important role design played in improving the day-to-day lives of citizens.  Andrew has combined his interest in social impact and digital products in his current role as Senior User Experience Designer at Case Commons, where he designs digital tools that help social workers leverage technology when managing their casework.  Andrew places a high value on the power of Design Thinking and research to inform and shape systems and services.  He views improving the user experience for social workers as an opportunity to allow for more time and energy to be dedicated to the daily demands of their jobs by keeping their digital workspace intuitive and pain-free. In addition to his professional work, he is a Visiting Associate Professor for Visual Storytelling at Pratt University. Using storytelling as a framework, this new graduate-level course guides students in understanding, prototyping, and persuading with stories. Students examine the principles of information design, elements of visual thinking, and the rhetoric of design, combined with narrative techniques and writing constructions. From 2013 to 2014 he served as an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, teaching Design Thinking to public policy graduate students.

www.andrewcramer.com

for more professional information:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcramer

Photographer at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

Job Description: My responsibilities vary almost every day that I go into work. However, a majority of the time I take action pictures of either sports teams, or individual players who have paid to reserve a photographer to do so. Other times I will have the responsibilities of just helping guests view their photos and directing them to the perfect photo package for them. I may even be put in charge occasionally and have to send out other photographers to do reservations, and make sure that it is all done efficiently.

Career Path: Roberts Wesleyan College from 2011-2015
Walt Disney World from 2015-Present Day (I was hired right out of college!)

Personal Accomplishments: As stated above, I was hired right out of college. That is something I am extremely proud of! Not only that but in the short time that I have
been working here I have learned so much and have grown so much as a person. And being able to meet more people who have a passion for photography like I do really is an amazing feeling. It has been a truly rewarding experience thus far!

Additional Comments: Before graduating I was terrified that I wasn’t going to be able to find a job in my field, as any soon to be graduate would be. However, when I was searching for jobs I kept an open mind, knowing that whatever was going to happen was going to happen for a reason. I would encourage any graduate to keep an open mind throughout the whole process. When I applied here I thought it was too good to be true and they would never hire me but I said “Hey, what the heck! Why not just try!?” And almost a year later, here I am working for the most magical place on earth.

Associate Creative Director, RES Exhibit Services

Job Description:

As Associate Creative Director, I work with a team of exhibit designers, engineers and graphic designers to help our clients brand come to life in a physical space. Tradeshow exhibit design requires a focus on applying visual design to a 3D environment, crafting experiences and brand journeys for attendees, and the logistics of building that space and taking it down in a short timeframe. My position required strong skills in time management, tight deadlines, spacial relation, client interaction, presentation of work, and relying on a diverse team of experts to concept and create truly unique environments. Its a job that wears many hats, with graphic design and branding at the center of it all.

Career Path:

Graphic Designer, Bob Wright Creative (2007-2009)

Art Director, Mirror Show Management (2009-2012)

Associate Creative Director, RES Exhibit Services (2012-Present)

Personal Accomplishments:

My family is my number one accomplishment. My amazing wife Ariana, and our two children - Ria Kay and Rowan Duncan, are the reasons I do what I do everyday. They are what truly matter.

Additional Comments:

Learning doesn't end at graduation, but Roberts provided me with a strong foundation and the diverse skills needed to enter the job market and be competitive. Beyond that, the relationships I built while on campus have stayed with me today. To me, those relationships are even more important than the education I received.

www.btdangelo.com

Job Description:

As a photographer, I have the joy and privilege of photographing a lot of memorable moments; the times in life that everyone wants to last forever. From capturing a baby’s first photos, getting that perfect image for the graduating senior, to photographing a bride walking down the aisle; I get to be a part of many life changing events with my clients. The photography industry is a high-pressure industry; not only do I have to be original and creative while capturing these once in a lifetime events, more times than not I have mere seconds to photograph these feelings and emotions before they are over. While I have learned a lot through the years, this challenge gives me the creative drive to continue growing as an artist. When I am not behind the camera the bulk of my time is spent editing photos, which I absolutely love doing.

A new endeavor I have taken on is lifestyle blogging. I simply write about the things I am passionate about in hopes of encouraging people, more specifically women, to pursue their endeavors and recognize they are not alone in their struggles. Some of my passions include faith, family, fashion, photography, art, and home decor. In an image driven culture my photography knowledge has fueled my social media presence and given me a head start in reaching my audience.

Career Path:

Photographer, C R Photos 2010-present 
http://crphotos.org

Blogger, 2015-present 
http://www.lilpalma.com

Personal Accomplishments:

My greatest accomplishment is being a wife to the man who showed me there is an art to photography. Without his support and encouragement, I would not be doing what I love today. My second greatest accomplishment is being a mom. There is nothing that brings my husband and I more joy and satisfaction than my daughter's smiling face!

Additional Comments:

Working in a field that is ever-changing requires a strong educational background. I am so thankful that both myself and my husband chose Roberts as the foundation to start our careers. Having grown and matured since graduation, I truly understand just how valuable my education was in providing me with the stepping stones I needed to start and grow a business. One of the greatest things I learned from my time at Roberts was to always be learning; it’s for that reason I spend a significant amount of time researching and educating myself to grow in my field which I can contribute to my success as a photographer. To this day I still feel supported by the professors who invested their time and energy into my future, and nothing feels better than knowing people believe in you.

Job Description:

As a Senior Graphic Designer at BLR, I create a variety of marketing collateral for print and digital markets. I work with marketers, writers, editors, management, and other designers to release full advertising campaigns for physical products, large-scale events, and digital subscriptions. As an Interactive Lead, I help to create and maintain standards for our digital markets, including email campaigns, e-newsletters, advertisements, web, and mobile apps.

Career Path:

Motion Graphics/App Production, FlyingWord Inc. (2010-2015)
Co-Founder/Designer, afewguys llc (2013-Present)
Senior Graphic Designer/Interactive Lead, Business Legal Resources (2015-Present)

Personal Accomplishments:

Since 2013, I've been designing and producing apps with "afewguys", an LLC I formed with two friends of mine. We've dabbled in mobile games, developed apps for festivals and churches, and (my favorite project) created a gamified productivity app with over 65k users called Raise the Bar. We're continuously improving ourselves and the app: www.afewguys.com/rtb

Additional Comments:

Branching out to follow my own creative passions in my spare time has been the most rewarding experience post-education. Not only does it allow you to enhance your skills outside of "real life" work, but it creates a place where you can (unintentionally) track how much you're learning and growing. It's pretty neat.

www.rjclarke.me
www.afewguys.com