Hello, I’m Christine! I am a third-year Cognitive Science major and I work as a Graphic Designer for the UCLA Center for 17th– 18th –Century Studies. I first saw the job listing on the work-study portal and I thought it was a great opportunity because I’ve always loved history as it was my favorite subject throughout middle school and high school. Additionally, I have experience in graphic design as I used to be a graphic designer for a youth media organization and I have dabbled in website design. I wanted to combine my interests in history and design to help encourage people to engage in historical research, attend lectures, and be more involved in the Center and the Clark Library! Throughout the year as a work-study Graphic Designer, I have worked on creating flyer templates in Canva to create a graphic identity for the Center and the Clark Library. I originally started out using neutral-tone colors such as beige, greens, or cream colors because I feel like those are the colors that people tend to think of when thinking about things related to history. However, after discussions with Jeanette and Laura, we wanted to shift to a more consistent look that incorporates the UCLA colors. I feel like this was a good experience for me to experiment with various color palettes while understanding brand guidelines. Also, it was my first time working with text-heavy flyers and I feel like it was a necessary challenge for me because I got to learn how to incorporate text while not compromising visual appeal. Surprisingly, a lot can fit in an 8.5 x 11 page!
Hi I’m Nava! I am a freshman at UCLA studying Sociology. I’d like to add on a double major, possibly Labor Studies, but History has become a new contender. This position at the Center interested me because I’ve always loved history. It was my favorite subject in high school and I was excited to be surrounded by others who were passionate and more knowledgeable than me in the area. I specifically like the Programs department because I enjoy event planning. Just in the few months I’ve been working for the Center, I’ve learned so much. The scale of the events we put on and the detail that goes into them are unlike anything I had been a part of before. Getting to help organize data, upload information, and prepare packets has taught me what is needed to run a smooth event. I will use these skills in my new position as Director of the Events Committee for Planned Parenthood Generation Action. The Center has also inspired me to host a Professor Panel with that club next year.
Images: courtesy of the students