How Jackson College’s flexibility is allowing this student to obtain her degree
Charity Smith works full-time but wanted to go back to school for something she enjoys – graphic design.
“It’s a great outlet for me,” she said. “I started painting probably about five years ago and I never thought that it would be something that I would go into. I kind of branched out into learning Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and it’s just been a lot of fun to learn different outlets and different ways to express myself.”
She is getting her Associate of Arts in graphic design at Jackson College and will officially graduate in May 2025. The flexibility provided is a big part of helping her achieve her goals.
“It’s available online and that was something that works easily for my lifestyle,” she said. “It’s just been a lot of fun being able to be part of this great community.”
Jackson College’s familial atmosphere is why she recommends it to others who may be in a similar position to her.
“You can talk with your classmates and talk to your professor,” Smith said. “It’s not a big college that you don’t know your professor and they can’t talk to you or it takes forever to get feedback. It’s a close-knit community.”
Charity credits Associate Professor Christie Hughes for keeping her on the right track.
“I love Christie. She breaks everything down and she’s very flexible too. She takes the time to listen. Even with the new and changing technology she’s always really keeping up the day-to-day and I think that’s helpful,” Smith said.
After graduating she would like to work in media publications.
“Working for a company that I can help promote or create different logos, promoting different events that’s really what my passion is about,” Smith said.