I decided to enroll in an APEX class because I had heard so much about the program and what an innovative learning experience it is. Designing Communications Solutions (DCS) was the course that was recommended to me by a friend, and after hearing such good things, I decided to take it. At that point I really didn’t have any knowledge of the content and no expectations whatsoever. To say the least, I got lucky with this program. I have had the opportunity to explore marketing and further my knowledge of graphic design, but even more importantly, through this blog post and many other outlets, I have gotten the chance to tell the story of APEX, a program that goes far beyond creativity.

The most amazing part of DCS is how much real world job experience you get from the program in so many different areas of graphic design. I started out the first month in the class with two projects already under my belt, both of which were incredibly important to me for a number of reasons. First, I began designing graphics for the DCS Instagram page and working with my instructor to create some interactive Instagram stories for our alumni to help keep them connected to the program.  I have always loved playing with the aesthetic of my own social media and it was even more fun getting the opportunity to do it in a more professional light. Social media is a huge part of the average person’s life, so being able to say I have managed a social media account is an incredible skill for the future.

In addition, I also had the opportunity to create a logo and poster for the LifeSpace Foundation Giving Campaign. This was an incredible experience for me as I got to create this campaign from scratch with all of my own personal ideas. However, apart from the amazing opportunities I have received, I have also achieved a great amount of personal and professional goals that I otherwise wouldn’t have without the help of DCS and the APEX Program.

DCS has been more than just an upgraded high school class for me; it has been food for my creative soul and in the short amount of time I have been a part of it, it has given me so many opportunities for growth in my life. I have advanced my professional skills by communicating almost daily with clients, sometimes multiple at a time, and planning meetings. I have gotten the opportunity to take my hobby of graphic design to the  next level and actually create a brand for myself. I did not have any expectations for this program, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going get this amount of real world experience. I knew APEX was innovative, I knew it would be something that I had never done before, but I had no idea that I would have all of these amazing opportunities in such a short amount of time. I am so much more confident talking to business professionals which has transferred over to my everyday life. I could go on for a thousand more words but there is really just one thing that I want to say to sum up: APEX has been one of the best parts of my high school experience and I could not thank this program enough for everything it has given me. Designing Communication Solutions goes beyond creativity in so many ways, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to tell my story as well as the story of our amazing program!