THE BATTALION
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
Extraordinary Grads Think Out of the Box Story by Paul Price
Two recent Texas A&M grads, Martin Hooper and Gavin Braman, capture the attention of designers, and their story inspires students to think out of the box even amidst economic hardship.
Gavin compares his appreciation for graphic design to a light switch - the summer study abroad in Germany opened up his eyes and helped him see how people truly embrace design. In Think it’s hard to find a job in addition, Martin and Gavin both this economy? So did Martin and attribute much of their scholastic Gavin, two Environmental Design achievements to Professor Donna Hajash, senior lecturer in the grads. Guess what they did? Visualization Department within Combining their two favorite the College of Architecture and pastimes - music and design whose interests lie in publication Martin and Gavin started their own company, Drifting Creatives. design and typography. Now these two tour the country, helping small businesses and design firms. Think they’re crazy, or are they pushing the envelope? - Continue the story below -
Start Your Engines: Gavin: “I think the smartest and most obvious things students can do [now] is to network. Use Twitter to find people in your area of interest, and find out what they are talking about. Educate yourself so you can participate. Talking to people and getting your name out there is the best advice [Martin and I] can give. Also, do not wait till you graduate before you start trying to make connections. Start now!” Martin: “If you can’t get the job you want, make it a goal. You might have to work for it. When you graduate people don’t just hand you jobs. Since we couldn’t get our “dream job” we decided to make out own.”
Martin Hooper (left) & Gavin Braman (right) EXTRAORDINARY GRADS THINK OUT OF THE BOX (CONTINUED) Martin and Gavin will be back in College Station from their four-month venture in mid-October, and they are always on the lookout for referrals and jobs. Although they are “broke most of the time” and “never have a day off ”, Martin and Gavin could not be happier, and they plan to continue working as a firm once back in town. Martin and Gavin are always on the lookout for referrals. Visit their website: www.driftingcreatives.com
I, the author, encourage you, the reader, to live life to the fullest and to work for that dream goal. As Martin noted, people don’t get lucky. Start planning for the future now. Get your name out there, and network. The sky truly is the limit, as evidence of Drifting Creatives. You too can have a life of significance, a life of meaning, a life satisfied. Make that dream a reality!
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