Graphic Design Student Makes Career Strides with Two Agency Internships

Graphic Design Student Makes Career Strides with Two Agency Internships

January 22, 2025 

By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences 

Graphic design student James Jean-Marie had the opportunity to create and present a full branding package for a hotel as one of three agency-developed creative options for the client to review. 

The hotel chose his designs – as an intern – giving him a win for his resume and the satisfaction of knowing it was a job well done. 

“That was exhilarating,” he said. 

Now completing his second agency internship as a senior in his final semester at Hite Institute of Art + Design, his sights are set on a career focused on web design. 

Completing two advertising agency internships, the first at An Agency based in Louisville, and now a remote internship at Cornett, based in Lexington, has given James the chance to explore what he likes or dislikes in the career of his choice. Through these internships, he has experienced working at an agency that has 8-10 employees, and another with around 50 employees. He’s also had the chance to work for a wide variety of clients, including a coffee chain, a metal recycling company, a business that creates gymnasium seating, and more. Experiential learning has been key to his growth as a graphic designer, and he is now considering job options for his life after graduation this May. 

Jean-Marie states that he appreciates the expertise of his professors at Hite Institute of Art + Design, especially the approach they take in preparing students for careers outside of the classroom. 

"The professors want to teach us how to think as designers, not necessarily just how to use all the software, but how to think for yourself and put in the work and the practice like everything else, to follow through with it,” he states. 

He also has enjoyed the smaller graphic design class sizes of around 15 students, which has allowed him to connect and build relationships with peers and professors. 

Jean-Marie knew that he wanted to pursue art as a career at a young age, taking advantage of classes and workshops as a student at DuPont Manual High School. 

"As far back as elementary school, I was always an art kid growing up, and in my art classes especially, I always had a thing for pastels or paint, and sketching, all those different art categories,” he said. “Going into middle school, that's when I made my first presentation for class, and I noticed that creating slides and trying to make it look the best that it can was fun for me.” 

Through his internships, Jean-Marie has gained experiences that will support him in achieving his goals moving forward. 

“I love that I have gotten to be a part of a few client meetings and even present in some of them, which was great exposure for what the real world looks like,” he said. “It’s been helpful to be in an agency environment, where it’s a bit more fast-paced and you get a lot of projects at once.” 

The exposure to challenges in the real world has been beneficial to his own personal and professional growth. In addition, he has enjoyed having a mentor in the workplace who can help to guide him on best practices and principles in an area of focus he has come to enjoy. 

“I've learned to love web design and I like the psychology behind it,” he said. “It’s important for businesses, especially since COVID, to make sure that the websites are functioning really well and focused on the user experience. It’s a way of helping people, but also helping businesses.” 

For other graphic design students interested in pursuing a career in the field, Jean-Marie said seeking new experiences outside of the classroom is critical. 

“Don't be afraid to throw your name out there and see what happens,” he said. “I also had a different internship in my freshman year with UofL's football team that my brother had encouraged me to apply for. You might hear a lot of people say, ‘no,’ but that's just reality sometimes. You've got to be patient for when they do say ‘yes’ and do the best that you can. Learn as much as you can. The world is always changing, so you need to learn how to adapt.” 

For example, Jean-Marie is learning to embrace AI in the creative process as a helpful tool, instead of being fearful of its use. It allows him to plug in temporary copy in the design process as he is developing a piece for a client. 

“Adapt and learn,” he said. “Explore what you love and don't love because you don't know that until you try it.”