ABOUT COREY.

When people ask me what I went to school for, I always got an interesting reaction. Most of the time it was a curious interest, usually based on asking why I decided to go to school and major in graphic design. It is always a quick trip down memory lane.

When I was younger, roughly 7 or 8 years old, we started receiving magazines from a company called ‘CCS’. This company put out catalogs that sold action sports apparel and accessories. All of the products were related to skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, and other action sports and the brands. Being the impressionable young one I am, I gravitated heavily to these athletes and similar clothes that they wear. At first, it started off as circling products with a black Sharpie. As I started to get older, I started to pay more attention to the photographs composition as well as the layout of the page.

This interest started to branch off to more advertising designs. I couldn’t get my hands on enough action sports magazines. Thrasher, Skateboard Mag, Transworld, you name it. If there were professionally designed ads and nicely composed images, I owned it.

From the first time I started receiving all of these magazines, I was floored by all of the images and page designs that would show up in my mailbox six or seven times a month. My parents had never seen me so interested in something this much, not including video games of course (like any 13 year old at the time).

My curiosity with design continued on through high school, but I never considered myself artistically talented enough to do the types of things I have seen in these magazines. Once I graduated high school, I started attending McHenry County College to explore other majors to study in. When I was making my schedule as an incoming freshman, I decided to try my hand at graphic design.  Although incredibly nervous, I somehow felt right at home.

After a year and a half at McHenry County College, I decided to take the next step and transfer to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to further my studies in graphic design. When attending my first advising meeting, I learned I would be taking painting, drawing, sculpture, and even ceramics courses. I have had little to no experience in all of these practices at the time. It’s safe to say I was terrified.  I came into everything with an open mind and a willingness to learn from my professors as well as my peers. I learned that any criticism was good criticism; it all depends on your attitude. Through the ups and down during the next three and a half years at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, I successfully obtained my bachelors degree in art with a graphic design emphasis with a minor in media arts and game development.