Courtney Caldwell arrived at Cañada College in the fall of 2007 eager
to explore the field of digital media but not sure what career track to pursue.
“Cañada had the most flexible digital arts program as it offered
classes in animation and video game art, fields that other campuses didn’t
offer,” she said. “I wanted the flexibility and options to take classes in different
digital art and multimedia fields so I could figure out my own career path. I
ended up taking nearly every class in the program as they were all so
interesting and challenging.”
Caldwell held a bachelor’s degree in Art and Art History from UC
Berkeley before enrolling at Cañada. She had graduated from Aragon High School
but didn’t have a lot of job-specific focus. Years later, she realized that she
wanted to pursue a career in digital media. “It wasn’t until I got to Cañada
that I found that focus,” she said.
Caldwell said the digital arts program at Cañada provided all of the
tools necessary for her to succeed. “I had access to the latest software and
hardware along with the expert instruction from people that had worked in the
industry for years,” she said. “They knew the basics and kept up with the
changes in web design techniques, technology, and best practices.”
The faculty was instrumental in her success, Caldwell said. “Every
professor in the department had a huge impact on how I shaped my portfolio and
my career because they were my guides to a new chapter in my life. They were
very enthusiastic. That’s really important because it helps students keep their
passion to improve their portfolios and maintain focus on their career goals.”
Cañada Multimedia Professor Paul Naas said Caldwell was the kind of
student professors love to have in class: inquisitive, energetic, always asking
questions, and wanting to go beyond the basics of the course. “She absolutely
made the most of her time here,” he said. “Not only did she take nearly every
class the department offered, but she was also a lab assistant, an art gallery
assistant, a member of PTK (Honors), and even put together one of our annual
art gallery shows.”
Naas said Caldwell is still active with the college, serving as a web
design representative on the Multimedia Art & Technology Advisory Board.
While finishing her degree at Cañada, Caldwell was hired by Hotwire.com
as a production artist and copywriter. She was later hired by Blue Shield of
California to work with their User Experience Team and is now a web content
strategist at Wells Fargo.
And what advice would she give students pursuing a career in digital
arts or web content development? “Give it your all,” Caldwell said. “Investing
in your career starts by taking your skills seriously and using the classroom
as a place to build them. Use the resources available to you, including your
teachers, counselors, and classmates. Don’t waste your time or your money in
any class if you aren’t going to do your best to knock it out of the park.
Remember, people in your class and on campus could become someone that can give
you a job later, so you always have to do your best.”
