ISSUED: 4 October 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Five Shepherd University graphic design students were able to spend time with community members in their chosen career field during the first Dinner with Strangers for the academic year. Ellen Smith hosted the dinner September 24 in her Shepherd Village home and invited guest Mary Watters. Smith recently retired from teaching graphic design at Hagerstown Community College and previously owned a desktop publishing company and freelance graphic design business.
Bachelor of Fine Arts majors with a graphic design concentration who participated were Renzo Valez Panduro, Shepherdstown; Molly Henry, Martinsburg; Nicholas “Nick” Pinto, Charles Town; and Skyla Heise and Devyn Shank, both of Hagerstown, Maryland.
“Your graphic design majors are well-spoken, with a high level of interest and understanding of the design field,” Smith said. “It was delightful to spend time with them. They asked good questions, and I learned from them as well. I think these students have been prepared well and will go on to do great work in their chosen field.”
“I was grateful to have dinner with Ellen Smith and Mary Watters,” Henry said. “Ellen and Mary are kind, intelligent women who are very knowledgeable about the graphic design career field I will be joining soon. I enjoyed talking with them and picking their brains about subjects like problem clients and favorite graphic designers. They were very enthusiastic about our experiences as college students and asked us questions too. I would definitely dine with them again if I had the opportunity.”
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