I have and the knowledge is pretty good. I feel like I learned a lot."

ut my own designs and styles into a final product for businesses."

d decided to pursue it as a career. I enjoyed the small class sizes and the instructors and their teaching style.

Instructors are great. They helped by providing feedback right away and explaining the use of programs we had to use on the job.

they have a good background and great instructors. VCAD provided us with many opportunities for our future.

are down to earth and very straightforward about what is good and what needs work. The small class sizes allows for a lot of class involvement in every session, making for a much different experience than sitting in a lecture hall. Overall, my experience at VCAD has been great. I really enjoy sharing my entire school career with people that have the same interests as me.

isual or in fine arts. U gave been working in creative disciplines my whole life, but professionally since starting at NSCAD University in 2001. Have worked in print media (Sonmedia) for four years and for VCADV since 2009. I am passionate about all forms of creative expression, something that was set alight when I was in the 3rd grade and my elementary school cancelled all the art classes due to budget cuts. I believe nothing is more fundamentally important to our civilization that the arts -- we should inspire ourselves so we can inspire others. I inspire my students by being brutally honest. I explain my opinions and rationales and I am not afraid to change my mind or opinions should a student show me something new. I am inspired because they continue to inspire me. IDEAS should be big and creative. I inspire them because I teach them to think bigger and better and to question everything.

and error. It was not until 2004 that I chose to transition from hobby to career. Since 2006, after graduating from the Art Institute, I have been happily instructing students in web development along with taking the occasional freelance contract. During my schooling at the Art Institute, I tended to spend as much time tutoring and helping my classmates as I did on my own work. This caught the attention of my instructors and during my final semester I was encouraged to inquire about a job with the school. I had never thought about education as a career before this, but since the seed was planted, it just made sense. I was very grateful to have been hired by AI only one week after my last day of class! I always make an effort to remember what it was like to be in their shoes and never take for granted that a lot of them are novices. In my classroom it is not just about the how, but the why as well. I also make sure to bring a positive and humorous viewpoint into my classroom. This is super important because web development can easily be perceived as boring and students lose interest. Not only do I try and make them have fun learning how to code, but I ensure they understand the relevancy of it to their careers. Becoming a teacher was the best choice I have made for my life and career. There is nothing more thankful than knowing I have made a contribution someones future, even in a small way.

nments, show us ways to improve our work in VCAD, point out our mistakes, tell us proper way to complete projects for school or clients, and by giving us skills we can use for our future jobs. The new computers, programs, and other tools make our classrooms innovative. Overall, my experience has been good. We have clean work spaces, clean classrooms and teacher and staff who are nice and work with us.

g difference. They will push you to your limits and help you accomplish what you thought was impossible. We have access to the Macs in the lab from 8-10 6 days a week, which is of big help to us. Overall Experience: The campus will help you with a lot, and you can always count on someone to give you helpful criticism and help you find creative ways to solve problems.

er for over 22 years. I have worked as an art director for advertising agencies and individual companies, and as a contract/freelance graphic designer, providing everything from corporate and product identity systems to promotion for performance industries to package and web design. I also did a 4 year program in visual communications at Alberta College of Art, as well as studying computing science for most of my life. I began teaching part-time as a way of supplementing my income as a designer, thinking that it would not only provide steady work but also provide an opportunity to hone my own skills and share the wealth of knowledge I have learned over my career as a designer. From there, I simply fell into teaching as if it were second nature, discovering that it brings to bear everything I have learned. There is a natural result of teaching to bring together cumulative knowledge and provide real insight that can be passed on to the next generation of designers. My inspiration comes from the infectious excitement for curiosity and creativity that is built into every fiber of the human condition. The trick to inspiring students is to unabashedly demonstrate your own zeal for discovery and the wonder for the creative process. Fun is the very definition of finding something you truly love and enjoy anew every day -- it is also the essential ingredient in learning. When students are having fun discovering, exploring and experimenting, I know I have done my job.