Catherine Gignac
As a senior in Ohio University's School of Visual Communication studying informational graphics and publication design with a specialization in magazine journalism, I'm constantly thinking about and surrounded by design. My mind automatically processes everything around me as though it's a piece of art communicating a message. My training at OHIO has clearly enabled my senses to adapt to a communicative way of thinking, although even in high school I was intrigued by visuals more than I was by words. I remember going to Barnes & Noble and just standing in awe of the magazine section. It wasn't about the articles or the specific magazines or even about the ambiance of the store, but my reaction was due to the sheer desire to look at the photographs, the shapes, the colors, and the creativity that filled those shelves. Luckily today, I not only still feel that sense of awe, but I now have the skill sets to both understand what's on the pages and draw inspiration from them. I'm a collector of inspiration — greeting cards I buy for myself because of their simplistic elegance or whit; paste books I keep with tear outs from magazines or ads; online collections of clips of commercials and videos that hit me in a particular way; photographs of people or places that inspire a mood or feeling. I want my mind to constantly have something to refer to, and when I see something I connect with, I want to keep it to draw upon later. My design sense has led me to internships at Whirl Magazine in Pittsburgh and Cosmopolitan Magazine in New York City (for Summer 2008). I've also held positions in charge of graphic design and marketing for the Ohio University Program Council, an organization charged with $147,000 to program and promote over twenty large campus events annually. In the upcoming academic year, I'll serve as president of the organization and will utilize my professional and leadership skills beyond the creative field. In the future, I hope to find myself working in a youthful, friendly communications environment, doing a job that I look forward to every day. To me, enjoying a job is about being challenged, developing and learning new skills, and influencing, as well as being influenced by, co-workers around me. Giving back to the community and enriching both my life and others' lives is increasingly important to me, and it will be an endeavor I wish to pursue no matter where I end up. Aside from my professional interests, a few other things that make me happy include completing crosswords, cheering for the Steelers, spending time with my family (especially my grandparents and my sister), watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show, dreaming of vacations to Tahiti, and laughing with my best friends. A friend of mine once wrote, "Ultimately, there must be some balance in your life, a good sense of your past mixed with what you can't wait to discover," and well, I just can't wait to discover.
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