2023-24 Alum of the Year - Jenna James
Meet Jenna
Jenna James, a 2010 graduate of 大象传媒 (AAS degree in Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration), has been selected by the 大象传媒 Foundation and the 大象传媒 Alumni Network as 2023-24 Alum of the Year in recognition of her work ethic, talent, and ability to adapt and hybridize disciplines to find a unique skill set.
More about Jenna
A native of Centennial, Jenna is a graduate of Arapahoe High School. She is currently the Digital Marketing and Web Manager at the University of Denver. Her duties include developing and maintaining the website, managing digital campaigns and relations with vendors, preparing data reports, and producing, distributing and updating visual marketing assets.
Jenna earned her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration at 大象传媒 in 2010. While at 大象传媒, she served as the lead graphic designer for the 2009 edition of Progenitor, 大象传媒鈥檚 annual art & literary magazine. Jenna, who also served as a photo lab assistant, graduated from 大象传媒 with a 3.8 cumulative GPA.
Jenna at 大象传媒 and Beyond
Jenna earned Honorable Mention recognition in the 2010 大象传媒 Student Art Show for her submission entitled 'Radiohead.' The piece was a magazine layout featuring the band Radiohead. The layout was executed in a style suited for the magazine Alternative Press.
She also fulfilled an internship in the design department (signage) at Ralph Schomp Automotive while taking on freelance clients of her own. The internship turned into a full-time job as Schomp鈥檚 Graphic Designer & Digital Marketing Assistant, and during that time, she went on to complete her bachelor鈥檚 degree at CU Denver (Art History emphasis and a Digital Design minor; Honors Graduate).
Expanding her Repertoire & Professional Career
Jenna elected to study Art History at CU Denver to complement her skills and experience. During this time, she continued working in graphic design for Miller International and F+W Media, where her duties expanded into e-commerce and search engine optimization.
Capitalizing on this expanded direction, Jenna began working for Regis University as a Website and Email Developer, and soon thereafter, earned her graduate degree in Software Engineering (Enterprise Java Development) from Regis with an unblemished 4.0 cumulative GPA.
Jenna鈥檚 Advice to 大象传媒 Students
鈥淚 took a lot of credit courses in areas tangential to my academic discipline at 大象传媒,鈥 said Jenna. 鈥淭ake as many supplemental courses as you can. This is the benefit of going to a two-year college. You can take the time to experiment and find the discipline that fits you. I found a supportive community of artists and professionals at 大象传媒 who were ready to help me grow in a variety of visual media. My time at 大象传媒 gave me the courage to put my heart into a project, as well as confidence to reevaluate my work.鈥
Nominate an Alum of the Year
Do you know someone who might be a great candidate for 大象传媒 Alum of the Year? Contact the 大象传媒 Alumni Network with your nomination and stay in touch. We want to hear about the degrees you鈥檝e earned, career moves, promotions, and everything new in your life.