Graphic design alumna shines with her own freelance business
Ypsilanti native Brittany Barnhart, 21, may not have known what career she wanted to pursue when she went to college, but she knew exactly what school would help her figure it out. Having received the Presidential Scholarship from Washtenaw Community College
—awarded for a student’s academic achievement
—Barnhart enrolled directly after high school.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated high school,” she said. “My dad is a web designer so I figured I would try that. That’s how I stumbled onto graphic design classes at WCC. I decided to give them a shot and ended up falling in love with the program.”
Booming business
Success has been fast coming for the 2013 graduate. Directly after school she worked at Standard Printing Company in Ypsilanti before opening her own design and illustration business design business— Just Curious Co. And this summer her artwork was chosen to represent the annual Ypsilanti Heritage Festival.
“It’s been crazy to see what’s happened since I won,” Barnhart recalled. “I was even asked to sit on the Board for the event.”
Strong foundation
Even with all of her recent success, Barnhart brings it all back to the school that helped her discover her love of design.
“Whenever I talk about WCC I can’t help but gush about the school. The instructors are always very helpful and I was able to get a hold of them and ask them questions whenever I needed them. For me, going to a two-year community college was a better option since I wanted to get to work sooner.”
Graphic Designers
Median Pay: $44,150 per year
Job Outlook: Employment of
graphic designers is projected to
grow seven percent from 2012
to 2022.
Information from bls.gov