By Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator, CSC
CHADRON, Neb. — Art Professor Mary Donahue and three students from Chadron State College attended the Meet the Pros conference in Omaha March 25-28.
Donahue said the CSC cohort, which included Amanda Kittell, Saul Reyes and Kasiah Sayaloune, met with alum Troi Arnold, a graphic designer at The Durham Museum. The museum hosts a broad range of traveling exhibits and is housed in a restored Art Deco building constructed in 1929 as Union Station, which served rail passengers from the 1930s to the 1970s.
During the conference, the group also toured LinkedIn headquarters, the Joslyn Art Museum and Hot Shops Art Center, a large artist collective.
Kittell of Chadron, a studio art major who plans to graduate in spring 2028, said the conference provided valuable insight into the graphic design profession.
“This conference was a great opportunity to learn what a graphic design job entails,” Kittell said. “I gained insight into the interview process, different career paths and what working in the field looks like through hands-on experience, including a group project creating a creative brief for the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo.”
She said many presenters shared QR codes so students could connect with them on LinkedIn, and Hurrdat Sports invited attendees to tour its office.
“My takeaways include how to effectively collaborate on group projects and develop unique solutions,” Kittell said.
Reyes of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a graphic design major who plans to graduate in 2027, said the conference offered a closer look at how professional designers operate their businesses.
“Hurrdat was a particularly interesting business with different segments, especially its sports media group,” Reyes said. “One lesson I took away is that if you don’t enjoy the subject you’re creating content for, it will show in your work.”