Wes Gibson — BFA in Graphic Design, Minor in Art History

Wes Gibson started his college career in his home state of Texas, where he studied photography while doing some design work on the side. Finding PSU’s Graphic Design program online, and knowing a friend already living in Portland, within a week he was packed and on the move.

Because of the pandemic, Wes began classes online and found that even through remote learning, A+D’s design program was actively fostering the community he longed for. He signed up for a peer mentor who helped him realize that, due to his prior design experience, he was ready for his Sophomore Portfolio Review. With the support of faculty and only five weeks until the deadline (students usually take a full academic year to prepare), he decided to go for it. 

“People want to help you here,” he said. “We have all these great events that give us the opportunity to reach out to people in the community. The resources are there for you. It’s daunting to reach out, but once you do, you get so comfortable doing it that you do it all the time.” 

Passionate about design work, Wes loves project management, teamwork, and making design presentations. Although he can see himself working in leadership roles one day, he says he is not as concerned with what position he’ll be in, as long as he’s learning and continuing to grow.