Angel Dao used her time at Wichita State to develop professionally and make connections within the industry she plans to pursue as a career while finding time to care of her mental health.

Angel is one of more than 2,200 students eligible for spring 2023 graduation. Learn more about her time at Wichita State and what's next for the grad.

Wichita

Bachelor of Applied Arts in media arts – concentration in collaborative design

WSU is very affordable, and I heard that there was a new program, the media arts program, for the exact field I was interested in.

I feel a bit of emptiness. I think I am overwhelmed and anticipating the changes that are taking place and I can't quite process it. College felt like a constant rush, so now that everything is slowing down, I’m taking it all in.

My biggest challenge as a student would be balancing workload and stress management. I had no issues completing my work; however, my stress levels were detrimental to my health. I had started receiving therapy for a time and found I had too much on my plate. After narrowing my commitments down, my stress levels decreased, and I became much happier.

A course I’d like to highlight is Professional Practices in Business Development with Ryan Gates that I was required to take. The course was quite difficult and almost every student struggled, but I found the class to be extremely valuable as it made students critically think and plan for our future careers.

The most helpful learning experience I have had is from Timothy Babb, former associate director of the School of Digital Arts and the animation program director, who has left WSU and moved forward with his career. I was able to take an independent study with him and learned much about the industry and what direction I wanted to go for my own career. Even now I have kept in contact with him as a mentor for tips on my portfolio and how to improve my work.

I am applying to jobs currently, fingers crossed. I plan to learn more programs, such as Nuke, to expand my skillset and update my portfolio.

College is a time to make connections with others and challenge yourself. It gives you time to learn and grow as a person. The first couple of years it’s great to explore, socialize and have fun. After, definitely focus on what you believe is important for your long-term future and career. If you end up taking over four years, that is okay. Take your time and don’t rush. Your physical, emotional and mental health is vital.

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