Meet Bryan University Graphic Design Graduate Ekaterina Lester

Meet Ekaterina Lester, a BU alum who earned her degree in Graphic Design. Ekaterina was always interested in graphic design but for a long time, she wasn’t brave enough to take the leap. She landed a job in the industry right after graduating from BU, and now she’s looking for her next opportunity. 

Ekaterina was a stay-at-home mom when she put aside her self-doubts and decided to look into a graphic design program. “I thought you had to be computer savvy or a super cool artist or something,” she said. “But when I was a stay-at-home mom, I really wanted to gain some new skills while I was home. So I figured, why not give it a go.”  

She came across BU, reached out for more information, and talked through the program with an admissions counselor before she signed up. “It was a great experience; I enjoyed the program,” she said. “I always felt supported, which is really important, especially when you’re doing an online school. You usually wouldn’t expect so much support, but here at Bryan, everyone was always your biggest cheerleader.” 

Ekaterina loved her instructors at BU and being able to learn from industry professionals who offered real-world advice and feedback. “I honestly loved all my instructors; I thought they were very professional. I loved that they all worked in the industry and all of them could give us good advice to those of us just starting our journey in this field. It was nice to hear from people who actually know the industry; they shared their portfolios with us, and it was just nice to see how it’s done.” 

In addition to her instructors, she felt supported through the other student resources offered at BU. “The instructors and the student advisors were always checking in and seeing if we needed anything. And if we did need help with assignments or other support, they were always there for us, which was great.” 

She especially loved the flexibility of the program, which allowed her to complete her assignments while being a full-time mom, and the ability to resubmit assignments for mastery. “I loved that there was so much flexibility within the program itself, where we could resubmit for better grades,” she said. “I think it’s a great way to support the students who have busy lives because we all do. It’s a really great thing about Bryan.”  

She enjoyed working with different design software and learning in the Adobe Creative Cloud. Coming out of the program, she felt prepared to work in the industry. 

Her biggest challenge during her time at BU was juggling her responsibilities as a parent and a student. To overcome that, she made to-do lists for herself and looked ahead at upcoming assignments so she could prioritize them. “Whenever I had a free second, I tried to get my laptop out to even get a little bit done.” 

Whenever she was faced with a challenge she couldn’t overcome herself, she knew she could turn to her support system at BU. “There were still some challenges where I couldn’t figure out how to get something done but for that, I could always turn to my instructors who would give me advice and help me get the things done I envisioned for myself.” 

Her advice for anyone interested in graphic design with self-doubts is to be confident in your abilities and give it a try. “If the only thing keeping you from saying yes to trying the program is self-doubt, like ‘I probably can’t do it,’ or ‘I’m not a good artist,’ — don’t focus on that and give it a try.” 

She added, “The program was amazing, the instructors were amazing. There’s great support for students. I really really enjoyed my time with Bryan University.”  

Learn how you can earn your degree in Graphic Design online at Bryan University today!