Students have the time and space to create their projects in the Graphic Design CTE Internship Program. All photos courtesy of senior Tyler Gerbel.

  Four years ago, San Luis Obispo High School’s Digital Media teacher Zach Roper founded the CTE Internship program for Advanced Graphic Design pathway completers. The program elevates students to learn beyond what is typically taught within the three digital media classes, and gives them creative freedom over what projects they’d choose to create in class. 

  “A lot of my Advanced Graphic Design students were finishing their pathway, but they were finishing right when they were getting really good, and then I would never see them again. And so I wanted to give them an opportunity to be able to keep doing projects in digital media, but kind of follow their own interests and develop a portfolio of work that they can be proud of,” said Roper.

  SLOHS offers three classes within the main digital media CTE pathway. These classes (Digital Media, Intermediate Graphic Design, and Advanced Graphic Design), offer students an education on industry-standard Adobe programs like Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects, and a popular open-source 3D design program called Blender. These classes are great for students who are interested in the subject or just need a fun elective, but some are truly dedicated to digital art and want more.

Senior Bridger Jensen creates their horror artwork in Adobe Photoshop.

  “After you’ve developed all of your skills, it feels like you have so much freedom to create anything you want. It literally is like anything you can imagine, anything that you really want to create,” said senior Bridger Jensen.

  Students in the CTE Internship don’t follow one curriculum. Instead, they can follow their own interests by deciding what they want to make and how they want to make it, which is what makes this class truly special. Each intern is always making something new and different, some may use their time to digitally paint beautiful art pieces, create epic 3D prints, or even develop their own video games! 

Senior Parker Marroquin works on her animation in Clip Studio.

  “It fits really well with my senior schedule and allows me to do something meaningful,” said senior Parker Marroquin, who’s using this trimester in the Graphic Design Internship program to practice her animation and VFX skills. “This trimester, I’ll be creating an animation reel for my portfolio, and hopefully I’ll be able to submit that into the Central Coast Film student competition later this year.”  

  Many colleges and universities that offer Arts and Media Technology programs often require a compilation of an applicant’s work (a portfolio) to be considered for the program. Thankfully, the internship program here at SLOHS allows students who plan on pursuing a career in this field a chance to work on building their portfolio during the school day as they prepare for higher education. 

  “I’m going to be majoring in art later on, and I’ve completed the pathway, and so this just felt like the next step,” said senior Abigail Wren.

Senior Kyan Vander Weele works on his 3D animation project in Blender.

  Many  of the interns noted that if it weren’t for the Graphic Design internship, they’d just be working on their projects at home.

  “I probably would’ve graduated early, I’ll be honest,” said senior Kyan Vander Weele, when asked what he’d be doing if the class wasn’t offered. Wren made a similar comment. 

  The space to work freely and hang out with other artists clearly means a lot to these CTE interns.

  Not only do the interns enjoy the class time during the day to work on their projects, they also have access to the full resources of SLOHS’ Digital Media department. This includes cameras, tripods, microphones, desktop computers, and even 3D printing, all for free! 

  For junior Ethan Diesta, these resources are a huge help for creating his films.

Junior Ethan Diesta plans a storyboard for one of his upcoming films in Adobe Photoshop.

  “Having the ability to create films independently along with all of the equipment that we have in this room, it’s a lot better than having your phone,” said Diesta. 

  Unfortunately, after former teacher Jason Heimerdinger left SLOHS, the department no longer has a dedicated pathway for film production. However, thanks to the internship program, Diesta has a new way to practice his filmmaking skills. 

  While the internship can’t truly replace an entire pathway of filmmaking classes, it still serves as a great way for students to learn filmmaking skills here at SLOHS. 

Senior Abigail Wren designs a background for her animation project in Blender.

  Overall, the Graphic Design internship program here at SLOHS is great for those looking to pursue a career in the arts, for those who want access to professional equipment, and for those who are just looking for time in the school day to enjoy their hobbies.

  If students are interested in animation, photography, filmmaking, graphic design, or just about anything related to digital media technology, then Roper’s Graphic Design CTE Internship program might be just the place for them!