We caught up recently with 2007 Graphic Arts alumnus Marshal Uhls, Kings. He has been living in Arizona since moving there after high school to attend college at the Art Institute of Phoenix. He earned a Bachelor degree in Media Arts & Animation.“I've used some things I learned from college in my career, but what was more important was the connections I made there,” he said. “Beyond taking my learning seriously and doing the work to get proficient, a lot of my lucky breaks have been because I made friends with people in the industry. Doing good work is important, but being someone that people want to work with can be even more important.”

So far, he has worked as a Digital Illustrator for Design Works Gaming, working on casino games; a Digital Illustrator for Grumpyface Studios, working on mobile games mostly for Cartoon Network; and most recently he pivoted to being a UX Designer at Nvidia. He has also been doing different kinds of freelance work over the years ranging from mobile games to children's books. He said that his two years at WCCC helped inspire him to go into the graphic design field.

“(WCCC Graphic Arts Instructor) Mr. Norris was a great teacher because he shared a new industry with me that I wasn't as aware of, but he also allowed me to pursue what I was more interested in even though it wasn't as directly related to the class,” he said. “He gave me time to draw and learn Photoshop along with working with the printing presses.”

“My advice to a young person interested in the graphic design field is to take the time to discover what you really want to do, and then find ways to learn as much as you can about it,” he said. “College may be the answer for some, but nowadays there are more affordable ways to learn what is needed in order to land a job. Keep in mind, school gets you what you need to get in the door, but a lot of learning happens on the job. Become a lifelong learner, and don't think you stop learning when school is over. Go after what you want to pursue, but remember nothing worth having comes easy. Do the hard work, get good at what you do, and don't become an unfriendly person along the way.”

While in high school, Marshal won the "Do Your Share for Cleaner Air" calendar cover contest that was sponsored by the Regional Ozone Coalition in Cincinnati.  He also drew an entire child's coloring book that his class printed and sent 250 copies to patients at the Cincinnati Shiner's Burn Hospital as a community service.

Marshal's website is HERE.