Dom Hegdal

When I was 13, I got my first iPhone and downloaded Instagram. I was immediately drawn to the “hockey news” side of the app and discovered videographers making NHL highlight montages, which introduced me to the “hockey training” side of content. I decided to create my own Instagram page to post videos of my hockey training and NHL highlights, which gained me a good following. Over the next few years, however, the priority of keeping up with my grades and having a job became too much, and I had to put my passion for videography on hold.

In my senior year of high school, I took a film class, which reignited my passion for videography. Since I could no longer play hockey due to concussions, I had the opportunity to make videos for the varsity hockey team and for my friends on the side. I needed a platform to upload my videos, so I created my YouTube channel called “Hegdal_Films” in early 2022.

Media production is now a huge part of my daily life, whether for school or personal videos. I am grateful to be in a field that allows for so much creativity, which has expanded my mind to look into art and find new inspirations. During my college years, I learned the importance of having inspiration by researching and studying what successful people in this field create.

I am thankful for the opportunities that videography has given me and excited to continue pursuing it.

Elizabeth Jensen

Mason Hofer

Something that sets me apart from my peers is that not only do I love what I do, but I am completely obsessed with it. I’ve been making videos since I was 11 years old, and after experimenting with other career paths, I have learned that this is the only way for me. I am always working to improve my work by learning from the veterans in the industry, while also adding my own style. I live for videography and cinematography; it’s an obsession that breathes life into every frame.

Videography isn’t merely a craft for me, it’s a pursuit to transform moments into cinematic masterpieces. I don’t just capture scenes, I orchestrate visual symphonies, turning each project into a living, breathing cinematic experience.

In the world of moving images, I’ve chosen to carve my path under the banner of Legacy Productions. This venture embodies my commitment to leaving an undeniable mark on the world of cinematography. Through meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering dedication to my vision, I aim to bring my creative vision to the world.

For me, every project is a chance to craft a visual narrative that goes beyond the average viewing experience. I work diligently to capture and express the emotions that are felt while creating the video so that when you watch my films, you will feel those same emotions and be a part of the story.

As I move forward after college, I want to continue creating movies that showcase my pursuit of cinematic excellence. Join me on this visual adventure, where each frame tells a story, and every project is a statement to the legacy I create in every moment captured on film.

Isaac Mauszycki

My history with video editing started at a young age, using family computers to begin creating video ideas that I had come up with. I quickly became fascinated with all that was possible through this art form. While I had learned editing through basic software, either through my parents’ PC, my grandparents’ Mac, or the computers available in my High School video editing classes, I was left wanting more. I knew that there were higher grades of software out there that would lead to a more fulfilling experience.
When I started studying digital media, I was introduced to a new world of professional software like the Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk Maya. I loved every new area that I was introduced to, from videography to photography, and from 2D design to 3D modeling. If I had to, it would be hard to choose any one area over the other, as they all come together to make up what we know as media.
I have used design and 3D modeling to create logos for local businesses, used photography and videography to help with weddings, sporting events, business promotion, portraits, and products, and then I’ve taken those to the next level using the editing techniques that I’ve learned.
Overall, my goal is to find a fulfilling career that I’ll enjoy and want to do for life. I plan to work on projects that entertain, inform, and inspire. I want to become a highly influential and impactful media professional, leveraging my skills, creativity, and dedication to contribute to the ever-evolving media world. I can’t wait to connect with other creatives, learn from mentors, and dive into new adventures as I pursue my goals. I’m excited to embark on this journey to combine my love for these artistic disciplines and create compelling work.

Alex Munce

Since a young age, I have loved the idea of creating for a living. From crafting makeshift movies in the backyard with my sister to the more mature aspirations of becoming an industry professional, the desire to create has truly stuck with me throughout my life.

Throughout high school, I found myself dismissing the idea of pursuing a creative career deeming it more a hobby than a profession. It wasn’t until my high school photography class that I discovered the paths I could take professionally. After high school, I knew I didn’t want to do the traditional four-year college route, so I opened my horizons to 2-year programs. That’s when I discovered and enrolled in the Digital Media Production (DMP) program at Southeast Tech. In my two years, I have been able to develop practical skills in areas like video production, graphic design, and multimedia storytelling.
Not only was I provided a comprehensive education in digital media, but I have also been able to work on industry-level projects, create lasting relationships with local companies, and facilitate internships that enhanced my experience.

As I look back on the days when I was creating videos on my iPod, I can’t help but think that the younger version of myself would be proud of the person I’ve become. Although I’ve come a long way, there is still a lot for me to learn. Looking into the future, I have aspirations of reflecting on my present self with a similar sense of achievement and evolution.

Carter Baumgard

Born in Surprise, Arizona, as a kid we did some moving around to be closer to family. I moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota when I was three, and then to Norfolk, Nebraska when I was 11. I lived with my parents and two younger sisters. I have always been a creative person; whether it was art or playing instruments and music. Throughout school, my favorite subject was always art. I always loved drawing and crafts. In middle school, I even had one of my drawings in a book about Norfolk, Nebraska. Going through most of high school in Norfolk, Nebraska; I never really knew what I wanted my career to be. Just recently I had gotten into being more creative with music. I started playing guitar and would occasionally play some bass. In high school, I needed an extra class. I signed up for an art class called Commercial Art. This class explored lots of the basics of digital art and graphic design. We created lots of different flyers and posters with programs like Photoshop, and I got hooked. I really enjoyed making things in that class. When later thinking of my career I turned to my love of art and also my newfound interest in graphic design.

Before moving to Norfolk, Nebraska my father graduated from Southeast Tech. He graduated as a major in Bio Med and got a job in Norfolk. I decided to come to Southeast Tech because I was already familiar with the school. I also wanted to be closer to family and friends, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

carterbaumgard.com

Logan Forrester

I am a Graphic Designer and Photographer focusing on Print and some Digital design. I have been developing print design for about 3 years now and taking photos for at least 4 years. My passion for design started in High School when I participated in a school “Comic-Con” event. This event was a school-hosted event by the graphic design class where students created their work that would be posted throughout the building and sold to students via tickets handed out by staff. It was from this point that I gained my style and got into a sort of steady stride in design.

I am proficient in Adobe software such as Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. With a more general understanding of Dreamweaver, XD, and Premiere Pro. With this various software and the field in general constantly evolving, I am always learning how to use these products more efficiently and improve my design. With a strong background in art, I have always been passionate about design and making things look the best they can. I often find that being able to sketch out a design and help visualize it in a large variety of formats can greatly improve the design.

During my free time, when I’m not working on a design whether that be for work or school, you can find me at my desk working on various tattoo designs, reading, or playing video games with friends. With design taking up a large chunk of my time, maintaining my own physical and mental health has become more than ever important so I have also gained a strong passion for cooking and working out. I was born and raised in Sacramento, California so I have always had a strong sense of family ties. California being a very art-heavy area has sort of influenced me as a designer and even more in my hobbies, which in turn influence my design.

loganforrester.com

Debbie Griffith

Born and raised in Southern California, I married a Marine in 1984. Moving often while in the service, we first moved to Northern California, had two children, and after four years moved again, sending the family to North Carolina, where we had our third child. Balancing family and full-time work, I still wanted to finish my education. I have continually enrolled in college since graduating High School. While in North Carolina, I turned my education towards Interior Design. I’ve always been passionate about design, sewing, and creating in general. A Marine income and raising three children was challenging, so I took a leap of faith with my sewing talent and education and opened up a successful interior design business. I ran my own business for four years until the Marine Corps said it was time to move back to California. It made sense to refrain from starting my business again and starting a new customer base from scratch while well-established in North Carolina. So, I returned to school to finish my education after my husband was discharged from the Corps. I went to work for a school district and also started an embroidery business.

In my professional life, I’ve had the privilege to work in education for over 20 years. These experiences have taught me the value of resilience, collaboration, diversity, and time management.
Throughout my journey, I’ve always been eager to explore various facets of design, which has equipped me with a diverse skill set in design. I’m always eager to embrace new experiences.

You can find me sewing, baking, and crafting when I’m not immersed in work. My journey has been shaped by curiosity, determination, and a deep-seated passion for design. I look forward to the endless possibilities, embracing each new opportunity with enthusiasm and an open mind.”

debgriffithdesigns.com

Kelly Johnson

I had always been a creative kid. Into high school, I followed my beloved hobby of art by taking classes and joining an art club, but I never thought I could make a career out of my hobby. I graduated high school in 2020, during a pandemic, and still didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue. Two gap years and many odd jobs later, I stumbled upon the Media Design program at Southeast Technical College. After touring, I knew this would be the next step for me in continuing my education.

I’m glad I picked Media Design because it is such a diverse career with many different career paths. I am able to apply all the hobbies I love like cooking and gardening and use it as inspiration for my designs. I appreciate things that not only serve a function but also look visually beautiful.

I’ve learned in the field of design, that being employable means more than just knowing a skill; it is the ability to keep on learning. My personal journey in design has taught me many things; the biggest lesson is to never to quit learning. Overall, my time studying design has given me a detail-oriented eye and problem-solving optimism. Skills, I believe, are essential to this industry.

What distinguishes me and is one of my most significant strengths is my design skills. I have a passion for bringing concepts to life and communicating a message in a visually appealing way. But above all, I love helping others and using my skills to make an impact in the world.

kellyhelendesign.com

Lillian Jung

“I guess I’m a little weird. I like to talk to trees and animals. That’s okay, though; I have more fun than most people.” – Bob Ross. I’m an animal and nature lover and would rather be with animals than people. That’s why I chose that specific Bob Ross quote. Now I know all artists will say, “Oh, my idol is Bob Ross.” I remember watching him as a kid, and I still enjoy everything he taught and did during his time on Earth. I’ve always been a right-brained thinker. I remember growing up and struggling in everything other than hands-on or artistic activities. I am grateful to have grown up with a Family of artists who always encouraged my sister and me to express our creativity.

I used to draw and write little stories that made absolutely no sense. I was always a messy kid, but hey, they say messy people are the most intelligent, right? I remember always being fascinated by old films and cult classics as well. I’d come home from school and watch the M*A*S*H* marathons. The old film style and the look of cult classics always intrigued me. My Family and I still quote movies like Labyrinth, Princess Bride, and Monty Python & the Holy Grail today. All these parts of my life make me who I am today and help with my ability to have an eye for creating. I always struggled to find myself and not know who I was. I’d always try to be someone I wasn’t to “fit in.” It took a lot of self-searching and remembering a famous quote: “It’s too big of a world to be in competition with everybody else; the only guy I have to get better than is who I am right now.” Col. Potter M*A*S*H*.

ljungdesigns.org

Isabella Kerkvliet

Growing up, I always had an interest in art. I would spend hours coloring, painting, and turning anything I could into art. As I grew older, I was more focused on soccer. Occasionally, I would sneak art projects but primarily focus on school, soccer, and work. Once the final years of high school hit, I started to think about what I wanted to do with my future. I truly had no idea what I wanted to go to college for.  At the beginning of my senior year in August, I signed up for my electives and came across a graphic design course. I instantly knew I wanted to take the class even though I was not entirely sure what it was. By the third day, I knew this was supposed to be my future. Taking that design class brought back all my fond memories of doing art when I was younger, and I remember my love for it. By November, I was already applying at Southeast Tech for Media Design.

Design is everywhere in the world; with creative thought in mind, you will always be learning. Art is truly a beautiful thing that brightens our world, and it inspires me to keep learning and designing. Southeast Tech has given me so many great opportunities within the program.  I have fluently learned many Adobe software. I primarily work with Illustrator and InDesign, but my skills continue beyond there. The field of design has taught me many things. But most importantly, it has taught me to learn from my mistakes and that great things can take patience and time.

isabellakerkvliet.com

Alex Mann

Picture this: rural Luverne, Minnesota. I was obsessed with art and video games from a young age. For as long as I can remember, I was an avid artist. As a child, I drew constantly, my hands covered in marker. I would draw on MS Paint on the family computer. Even in school, I wanted to express myself through art. Admittedly, I put a lot more effort into art than I did with other subjects. I took just about every art class that Luverne’s school provided. I would paint, draw, airbrush, and even Photoshop, and I loved every second of it. I knew I wanted to pursue something in art. It was going to involve video games in some way. That is the other thing that has consumed my life. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out, and I was left pondering what came next. Some introspection later, I remember my time with my graphics arts class. Maybe it didn’t have to involve video games. I could point my artistic skills somewhere else.

Getting accustomed to Adobe software was not an issue. I already had Photoshop under my belt. My Photoshop experience might not have been as refined as it is now, but at least my foot was in the door already. It was only a matter of finding how to communicate effectively with design. I ended up learning a lot more about this. I was sitting in a box, and this was stepping out of that box. Viewing it from different angles, new ways that I could communicate through my art. No longer was it pretentious what-ifs. Every design has a meaning, a message that it attempts to communicate. My favorite part is doing that while still finding that balance of making something visually appealing.

alexmanndesign.co

Chris Pieper

Ever since I was a little kid in Yankton, South Dakota, I have loved art. Whether I was driving down the road looking at billboards, watching television, or looking at a magazine, it caught my eye. I was involved with the arts while growing up, acting and behind-the-scenes work in theatre, singing in the choir, playing the violin in the orchestra, or drawing on a piece of paper.
Initially, I started my school career with an HVAC career; I felt like that wasn’t for me, and I wanted to do something else, but what? With a love for art, why not find a career where you can use art? I chose Southeast Tech because its graphics program was excellent. I already have a degree in digital media through them, but I want to expand on that and have decided to continue my education; I chose to continue with the Media Design program. Since I have been with Southeast Tech, I have gained insight into print design and got to see firsthand what it’s like working for a graphics company.

Since being in the media design program, I have gained experience in the Adobe Creative Suite programs. I learned how to edit photos, create motion graphics, and make magazine layouts.
Having a degree in both, I plan to find a career in which I can utilize them together. Having been from South Dakota, I plan to stay in the state and gain some experience in graphics with a company while being close to my family.

christopherpieper.com

Crystal Porraz Lopez

What is a passion? According to Google, passion is an intense desire or enthusiasm for something. When we refer to a passion, most of us think about something we love to do. Naturally, this thing we are passionate about influences our choice of degree post-high school, but what happens when you feel that you are not passionate about anything?

Growing up, I never felt I was necessarily passionate about anything. I excelled at math, science, English, chemistry, and most other subjects. It came easy to me, but I wasn’t passionate about them. I liked to draw, write songs, create music, and teach myself things, but when asked, “What do you want to go to college for,” my mind blanked. This was the case so much throughout middle and high school that I took a gap year after graduation in 2021. As the fall of 2022 approached, I was still trying to figure out what I was passionate enough about to pursue.

Attending the Media Design program was a spontaneous decision. If I loved music, drawing, and creating things, then media design was for me. At least, that’s what I thought. 2 years later, that thought turned out to be true.

My experience at Southeast Tech has taught me that a passion can be grown. Today, I am proud to say that I am passionate about design. As a graphic designer, I aim to continue challenging myself, create original content, and constantly learn new things. I embrace mistakes and believe that mistakes are an opportunity to grow and teach others. Through this principle, I have become versatile in my skills and am always up for a challenge.

crystalplopez.com

Will Roths

I am someone who rises to challenges. When I was born, I was three months premature, and everyone was unsure if I was going to live, but I pulled through and survived. Thinking back on it, that was a big part of what made me who I am. I always want to try something new, rise to the occasion, and help others. I do that by volunteering to assist those in need. I have helped at nonprofit organizations like the 211 Helpline Center and Feeding South Dakota, the Union Gospel Mission, and The Volunteers of America. I helped with a variety of tasks at each organization, but what I learned I liked doing most was working in media when I volunteered at The Union Gospel Mission; I worked with their marketing director, and most of our daily tasks consisted of creating posts for Facebook and Instagram and billboards about upcoming events and what the mission needed for donations. The best part about working there is that they showed they trusted me by letting me work on my own and that it would be finished on time; it also helped that the people I worked with also treated it like a mentorship and taught me some skills that related to working in social media which was very helpful to me. I was able to learn a great deal. Volunteering has helped me grow, and it is great knowing that my work was used to support others in need. It made me feel good, so I returned as much as possible to help.

willroths.com

Teagen VanderWal

For as long as I can remember, I have deeply loved the arts and creating. Since I was young, I’ve always enjoyed trying to recreate the things that I see into my own style. I would even draw on my desk and toys, which my parents weren’t pleased about, but they never tried to dampen my creativity.
However, I was always told that my art couldn’t be my career. By who, I’m not sure, but it was something I had come to terms with. So, I was never sure of what I wanted to do after high school graduation. I had a few ideas. Marine Biology is too expensive to travel. Psychology has too many years of school. In my high school senior year, I had to choose between a woodworking class and a web design class. I had no interest in woodworking, so I decided on web design and stepped into the world of HTML. My teacher, Mr. Burg, soon informed me that there are many creative career paths where I could put my skills to work.

I eventually settled on Media Design. The degree had so much more to it than I had previously assumed. My idea of graphic design was drawing on a computer or tablet, but when I entered college, I realized it was much more. And especially with our fast-evolving technologies, there are so many career paths available for graphic or media design. I eventually became proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. I was unsure of my choice at first, but it soon became enjoyable, and I knew I had made the correct decision.

teagenvanderwal.com

Makayla Wickman

Growing up in Rock Valley, Iowa’s small, conservative town, gave me a unique perspective on life and creativity. With a population of less than 3,000 and a class of 50, I was always labeled “the musical one” or “the creative one.” I never considered myself artistic or creative because I always associated art with drawing; however, the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve learned that art comes in many forms and is everywhere! Art for me started in fifth grade when I picked up the saxophone. I quickly fell in love with music, going on to play five different instruments by my Junior year. I was involved in anything and everything music-related, not only in school but outside as well. My band and choir teacher were huge inspirations for me growing up; however, through them, I learned that I did not want to do music as a career.

Art then came to me in photography. I started falling in love with photography at the age of 14. I took pictures of anything and everything; as time passed, I developed my style. I love creating unique scenes and capturing images that get people to talk. For example, I once covered a model in sand and glitter at a beach; this idea has won me multiple awards! It is through photography that I discovered I wanted to go into design. I was very nervous that I would not be good in this field simply because I could not draw.

However, proven for a third time, art is about more than just drawing. I love coming up with ideas and watching them come to life; that is as much art as anything else. I have learned so much about design, art, creativity, and myself through this career path. I can not wait to see where I go from here.

makaylawickman.com