Art is oftentimes a form of communication between two people, offering a way to speak without using actual words.

Graphic arts major Jori Kapla was one of the four seniors at this past Friday’s senior art exhibit. She displayed many pieces ranging from studio art, photography and digital layouts from the years she has been at Lakeland University.

Kapla’s journey first started in high school when she was a freshman and became part of the yearbook staff. There she learned how to use Adobe programs and the basics of page layout. “Being involved with the school yearbook is really what made me want to turn graphic design into a career, choosing my college major was a no brainer for me,” said Kapla.

Kapla completed her first two years of school at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac, earning a Certificate in Electronic Publishing before transferring to Lakeland. Last Spring, Kapla was an intern for the Boys and Girls Club in Sheboygan, working as their art director. She created weekly lesson plans and projects that taught students about the principles and elements of art, famous artists and different styles of art.

Kapla currently works for Monique Brickham, a graphic arts professor at Lakeland University, in the Verhulst art building’s Mac lab helping students with questions and calibrating the printer. Brickham found her small task last October designing the homecoming t-shirt and she was recently asked to make a new logo design for the biochemistry program.

This past November, Brickham found Kapla her first design job for The Washington Island Observer as the new Layout Manager for their newspaper. “They had reached out to Monique to see if there were any Lakeland students she would recommend for the position and she immediately sent me an email in all caps about the position,” stated Kapla.

This job is just one of the opportunities that Lakeland has given me,” said Kapla. “I am very excited to see what is in store for my design career after graduation.”