Janayia Welton: Graduate Story, Graphic Design & Web Development
Meet Janayia Welton, a graduate of Orlando’s F.I.R.S.T. Institute Graphic Design and Web Development Program. Her aunt performed computer aided drafting in the military and her grandfather loved to draw a lot. These were her inspirations for getting into the graphic design industry.
Janayia transitioned into a graphics design program while in high school. There, she learned how to use the black room to develop photography. Students also learned the old versions of Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator. This is when she learned an appreciation for the creativity process that comes with designing graphics.
Janayia Welton Is Drawn to F.I.R.S.T. Institute
What initially drew Janayia to F.I.R.S.T. Institute was the small class sizes. She was also impressed by the fact that all of the teachers worked within their industries.
Her favorite part of being a student at the Orlando technical college was the teaching atmosphere. Every instructor teaches using hands-on techniques.
Ms. Welton’s favorite project as a student was the web development venture. This project created a real challenge for her, which was something she enjoyed.
Life After Graduating from the Orlando Graphic Design School
After graduation, Janayia landed a full-time job at Hit Promotional Products. She has really improved her skills since taking the job. Since then, she’s learned color separations and how to do apparel proofs.
The F.I.R.S.T. graduate also works as an entrepreneur doing freelance work. She currently has three clients who hired her to put together branding and identity packages for their companies. This includes creating customized logos, style sheets, business cards, fliers and email blasts for marketing purposes.
Advice from the F.I.R.S.T. Institute Graduate
When asked what advice would she give to new students, Janayia says do not give up. Hang in there. At times, you may think you can’t make it. There will be things that come up in life that will try to pull you away from school.
This could be self-doubt or even people in your life that may not believe in you. And of those who do, some may say that it’s just too hard and maybe you should give up. But Janayia Welton says just keep going until you’re done because the opportunities are much greater after you graduate.
