2012
I transferred from Southeast Missouri State University to The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which was the #2 Advertising program in the country. I ended up getting involved with the American Advertising Federation - Illinois, the largest student-run chapter in the country.
2014
I attended The Creative Circus Portfolio School's Summer Program. These courses were taught by the division heads of each department, and covered a broad range of specializations, including: Art Direction, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Photography, Pitching Ideas, & Typography.
When I returned to school, I received the Spotlight Member & Member Of The Year recognitions through AAF Illinois, and was asked to be the Creative Director of the chapters's largest agency, OTH.
2015
I spent my final year overseeing all of the agency's creative output, as well as teaching the 140+ member agency everything from Adobe programs to industry trends.
I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an Advertising major and Sociology minor.
In my free time, I was involved in the Marching Illini, and personally read every annual One Show (advertising award) book, dating back to 1979, in order to recognize practices that stood the test of time.
2016
I wanted to keep improving my knowledge and skillset, so I became Google Adwords, certified, and also got certifications for Adobe Photoshop Mastery, as well as Adobe Illustrator through Lynda.com
I landed a job in Chicago's film industry (IATSE 476), where I worked behind the scenes of television shows, concerts, commercials, and films. I spent most of my time as a Rigging Grip, but also worked as a Shooting Grip, Special FX, Set Decoration, Stagehand, and Set Construction.
A few sets I worked on included Shameless, Empire, Lollapalooza, Chicago PD, Coldplay, & The Goo Goo Dolls.
2017
I got a job more inline with my career aspirations, Adams Outdoor Advertising, a full-service ad agency that specialized in billboards & digital advertising. I was a Graphic Designer, who worked with hundreds of clients, and helped create 6 award-winning advertising campaigns. Near the end of my time at Adams, i was creating work for 3 different markets across South Carolina, as well as helping lead the 5 person creative team.
Skills acquired: Adobe Animate, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Creative Strategy, Figma, Google Web Designer, Microsoft Office, Motion Design, Squarespace, UI/UX, & Wireframing.Once Covid hit, it eliminated Adams's entire creative department.
2020
After briefly working in the printing industry, I made a career pivot towards marketing. I started as a Contract Marketer at a company that created aircraft parts (McFarlane Aviation Products), and worked my way up to a Marketing Coordinator, where I took on a broader range of responsibilities, from eCommerce, to trade show design.
Skills acquired: A/B Testing, Adobe InDesign, Amazon Selling Central, Blog Writing, Brochure Design, Catalog Design, eCommerce, Elementor, Email Marketing, Google Ad Manager, Google Analytics, Heatmapping (Hotjar & Microsoft Clarity), iContact, iMovie, Merchandising, Photography, SEMrush, SEO & SEM, Signage Installation, Social Media Marketing, SurveyMonkey, Trade Shows, Vehicle Wraps, Videography, WordPress, & Yoast.
2023
I took on a new role as a Marketing Specialist with The Midland Group, where I handled all marketing responsibilities across 6 different regional offices. I refined my creative output towards practical applications within the healthcare industry such as handling the SEO, SEM, and client research for the company.
At this time, I was also working a second job in the service industry.
2024
I took on my current role, and moved to an area that finally feels like an excellent fit for me (Baltimore, MD), where I plan to lay down deep roots for the foreseeable future.
2025
I am currently working as a Content Marketing & Graphics Manager at Spaceworx, where I am in charge of the marketing. I am responsible for redesigning the website, all of the social media, and branding across 3 separate products.
I love what I do for a living, and am constantly learning! When I'm not at work, I'm currently working on creating music videos & marketing for local bands, experimenting with art, & learning 3D animation.
Skills acquired: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Animate, Adobe Character Animator, Adobe Premiere, Blender, ERP, Logic Pro, Odoo, & Webflow.
