Digital Media Graduates Showcase Creative Work

Graduating students from Tulsa Community College’s Digital Media program shared their creative portfolios with the community during the Digital Media Student Showcase in May. Projects included animation, motion graphic, interaction design, visual brand identity, photography, and physical media touchpoints such as packaging and print collateral.

More than 20 students in Tulsa Community College’s Digital Media program displayed their portfolios for the Digital Media Student Showcase in May. Family, friends, TCC faculty and staff, employers, and the professional arts community attended the showcase at the McKeon Center for Creativity to view the designs and speak with the student artists in person.

Ken Wood, Digital Media Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor, explains the showcase is a feature of the Capstone course that students take in their last semester of the Digital Media program. They are tasked with developing a strong body of work that spans mediums and platforms.

Students' displayed work focused on brand storytelling, photography, illustration, print, motion, and interactive mediums.

“I tell my final year Capstone students to think about the work in their portfolios like a fisherman would think about the lures in their tackle box. To attract the right catch, you must use the right tackle,” says Wood. “When assembling a portfolio, students are encouraged to approach every project as a detailed system, outlining the objective, the creative process, and the professionally presented results.”

Digital Media combines various fields like computer science, art, video, music, journalism/mass communication, and design. TCC has two Digital Media pathway options, Graphic Design and Photo/Video, that each culminate into a Digital Media Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate.

Connecting Through Design

Clay Tuttle’s work at the showcase included designs on award medals, magazine covers, and album cover mockups for a metal band. Though the album covers are theoretical designs, Tuttle’s design of the band’s logo was one of his first design jobs.

“I approach every job as an opportunity to learn something new. Whether that's a new technique, a new style, or even an opportunity to learn something new about the person I'm working with,” Tuttle says.

Tuttle is a first-generation college student had been working in manufacturing jobs when his wife encouraged him to apply for college to pursue a career doing something he enjoyed.

“I started out going for an English degree. I love writing and reading and literature. At the time, that seemed like a more attainable goal because I could do it completely online,” explains Tuttle, who is also raising a 12-year-old son. “So, working full time with a family and trying to keep up with all the responsibilities, that was the best fit. Then COVID happened.”

Tuttle says the pandemic pushed him to reexamine his career path. He changed majors to work toward a degree in Digital Media. He says his wife’s support provided him the opportunity to take classes full-time and in person.

Tuttle has been drawing since childhood, and calls design his “first love.” In addition to learning the necessary skills for a career in design, he says his time at TCC allowed him to learn more about himself. 

“This has been a journey of self-discovery, and the moments that have resonated most with me have been when I've connected with other students and help them have confidence in themselves,” reflects Tuttle. “Over the last 3 years, I’ve realized I love art and design, but what I really like most is connecting with people.”

Tuttle says one of the most meaningful projects he has worked on has been for Wrestling for a Cause, a nonprofit wrestling organization in Tulsa that raises funds for children with cancer. Tuttle says the nonprofit reached out to him on social media to donate artwork for an auction.

“The fact that I made something that was able to raise money for a family going through a hard time, that’s such a wonderful feeling,” he says.

Tuttle continues to work on promotional artwork for Wrestling for a Cause, which was displayed at the TCC showcase.

He will work toward his bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State University–Tulsa in the fall. He says he hopes to become a teacher of digital media.

A New Direction in Digital Media

MaryAnn Ferrell’s path to the Digital Media program began after a cancer diagnosis changed her direction in life. 

“Having cancer and going through that experience sent me on a completely different trajectory than I was on,” says Ferrell.

After surgery and treatment, Ferrell wanted to invest in herself while finding a way to help others. She first became connected to Intimate Pathways as a patient in 2022, after a referral from her oncologist. The nonprofit helps individuals and couples navigating health challenges or life transitions improve their sexual health.

As Ferrell became more open about her cancer experience and began sharing her story with medical students, she was asked to join Intimate Pathway’s board of directors in 2024. She later completed a graphic design internship with nonprofit in spring 2026.

Ferrell’s interest in digital media started years earlier. About 20 years ago, she taught herself how to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. When she began thinking about returning to school, graphic design felt like a natural place to start.

“I thought, ‘Let me look into graphic design.’ I got into the program and loved it immediately. I knew this is exactly where I need to be,” recalls Ferrell.

After her first semester, she joined TCC’s Honors Program, which provided a tuition waiver that helped her graduate debt free.

In her final semester, at the Digital Media Student Showcase, Ferrell presented work that reflected her technical and personal growth. One of her featured projects was a mockup of a spritzer can from fictional brand, “Sassy.” The project was inspired by her late mother, and includes various fruits on a light yellow-colored can.

“She loved spumante, and she loved to throw a handful of fruit in it,” Ferrell laughs.

Her display also consisted of a typeface named “Decades” created entirely by Ferrell. She says it was inspired by the way she doodles on graph paper. The final booklet includes small visual nods to graph paper, connecting the finished typeface design back to what first sparked the idea.

Now that she has completed the Digital Media program, Ferrell says she plans to begin working in the field and will continue collaborating with Intimate Pathways.

Wood says the field of Digital Media is ever growing, and program graduates with an AAS can expect to work as a graphic designer, video production specialist, web designer, animator, and many more creative disciplines across a multitude of industries.

“The diverse skillset students acquire includes proficiency in design software applications coupled with a foundation in creative and technical problem-solving,” says Wood. “The more technical knowledge and skill a student can bring to the table, the greater their success at landing a high paying career within the Digital Media field.”

Enrollment for the Digital Media program is open now. Learn more on the program website.