Hello, goodbye and thank you

“How do you have time to do anything? You design half of this campus.”

In November of my first year at Miami University, Alice Momany and I ventured from our third-floor dorm in Dennison Hall to explore the campus we had yet to actually attend class on. Roaming the hallways of Armstrong Student Center, we came across a giant fish-tank-feeling room with bright green walls and posters plastered on the glass announcing:

I recognized the name from the newspapers we’d been plastering on the ceiling of our room out of sheer boredom. Being a pre-communication design student myself, and Alice a journalism student, we thought we might as well find out more. 

Flash forward a year and four months later, and I stepped into my position as design editor. 

TMS is where I started, but wow have I grown since then. At the very beginning of my sophomore year, I applied to work at the front desk of Miami’s art museum and was asked if, since I was a design student, I could also help with making marketing materials for the exhibitions and events. 

Within two months, I was in meetings with our curator, concepting title graphics for the next semester’s exhibitions. 

Since then, I’ve come up with the visual identity for 14 exhibitions and have designed pretty much all of the promotional materials for each exhibition and most of our events. I get to see my work everywhere from the walls of galleries to the TV screens on campus. 

That same spring, just before taking up my position as design editor, I was asked to fill the opening of art director for The Miami Student Magazine. I was a designer for them in the fall and had no clue that my director was graduating that winter. I was so excited by this offer that I had to accept it, soon realizing that I actually had no idea what I was doing. 

Accepting the challenge, I learned the ropes and, by my third publication, felt like a pro. I loved having more freedom and fun with my designs and having more time to really dive into the creativity, something I wasn’t used to with the newspaper.

As a senior, I took up yet another design challenge – I am currently designing a collection for the Miami University Fashion and Design fashion show this spring. Clothing is something I’ve always had a passion for, so when the idea of trying it out this year was suggested to me, I thought, “Screw it, why not?” Thinking back to my high school or even first-year self, I would have laughed if I thought I would be doing this now. 

I am so proud of myself, and that's something I don't think I say enough. In high school, it was like pulling teeth to get me motivated to do anything after school. I was a member of our theater program’s stage crew (which I loved, but still struggled to feel motivated for it) and had been playing lacrosse since fifth grade (which I loved a lot less, to be honest). Honestly, I thought I was just kind of a boring and lazy person.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned that when I’m doing what I love, I never want to stop. It’s not that I can’t say no, it’s that I don’t want to. So I guess my message here is that it never hurts to lean into the things you are passionate about or even just interested in. Go big or go home, you know? Never decline an opportunity to do something you love. 

And as much as I can say I’m proud of myself, I am so, so grateful for everyone who has supported me and given me these opportunities. From everyone at The Student (especially my lovely designers), my art museum family, my actual family of course, my friends and anyone who has ever reached out to me or recommended me for commission work and given me a chance. I am always willing to design, but without people looking for my skills, they are useless. 

So now, here I am, tying off the last of my new experiences on this campus — finally writing my first-ever article. I couldn’t ask for a better experience here at Miami, and I hope that those of you reading this will be lucky enough to say the same. 

chambem9@miamioh.edu

@maceychamberlin 

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