Think back. What was it like to be a first year student at OSUIT. Did you have a scholarship? Financial aid? Why did you stay? For most students, it was because of the culture. People and instructors like Gresham, Shaw, Halpern, Myers, Jobe, Borchert, Welch, Mounger, Miller, Dixon, Stenstrom, Wedel and Poppenhouse have definitely changed the game for our graduates.
We are asking that you, too, change the game for our future OSUIT Visual Communications students by paying it forward to the OSUIT Visual Communications ART P
lus scholarship.
The School of Visual Communications at OSUIT is a family. The staff, faculty and students make a wholesome environment out of people and out of art. While providing students with a space to collaborate, study and learn, the leadership of VisCom also provide a space to talk, grow and ask for help. Many times, students come to leadership with questions about financial aid or have a need for scholarship dollars to continue their education and achieve their dreams. Shelly Waller, a student pursing an Associate in Applied Science in Graphic Design Technology is one of those students. Waller was awarded the ART Plus scholarship and said this opportunity helped her build her confidence and showed her the strength to face the future.
“I was working and attending class part-time, I really just saw the school as a way to build my skills. The more I got involved, I realized this was something I am truly passionate about which would then cause me to have to quit my job to pursue my education. I was so indecisive, but once finding out I had been awarded the scholarship, I had the confidence that people believed in me.”
Each year, the School of Visual Communications at OSUIT hosts an annual fundraising initiative, ART Plus, that raises funds for student scholarships within the department. ART Plus showcases OSUIT alumni art. Items for sale include paintings, drawings, photography and more, and allows an opportunity for students, alumni and community members to gather together and celebrate the power of art.
All money raised from ART Plus goes directly to impact students at OSUIT. This year, the School of Visual Communications leadership members would like to offer the opportunity for all people, near and far, to pay it forward to current students. Each year, we raise about $5,000 at ART Plus, but this year, through this platform, we hope to raise an extra $10,000. To top it off, Dean James McCullough is choosing to join in on this effort and match dollar for dollar up until $1,000. He believes in it, we believe in it and you should believe in access to education through scholarships. This additional amount of money will help us to achieve our goal of endowing this scholarship for Visual Communication students, allowing a legacy to be created for future “artsy” Cowboys.
“Even if you can’t buy a piece of art, or even come to the event, you could still make a difference with a contribution of $100, $200, $500 or whatever you could give to change the stars for deserving students in the School of Visual Communications,” McCullough said.
OSUIT VisCom instructors are skilled creative specialists with a combined 75 years of industry experience. This allows them to bring a unique perspective to the fields of Graphic Design, Photography and 3D Art/Animation education. Their passion to share combined with a curriculum focused solely on practical design and tradecraft, prepares students for the real world.
