By Madalene Smith
Senior graphic design students Alex Amaya and Anna Cantrell will be traveling to the Netherlands this May through the Generations Study Abroad Scholarship. Both students look forward to experiencing the difference of culture and learning about design at world-renowned studios.
Amaya has always wanted to travel to the Netherlands, and is embracing the opportunity to learn.
“My hope is to gain more knowledge and experience in the practice of printmaking. I'm also hoping to be inspired by the cultural differences and inspired by the places I'll visit and people I'll meet.”
Amaya was led to graphic design through his passion for drawing and letterforms. He applied to Appalachian for its unique Graphic Design program and ultimately chose the university, above all others, for the scenery and location.
Cantrell’s talent for graphic design was discovered in high school by a local studio owner who later offered her an internship. While there, she discovered a passion for helping others through arts.
“I loved seeing the way they could influence and give back to their community through their work.”
While abroad, Cantrell plans to take in as much as possible and evolve her own style of design.
“I’ll have the opportunity to work and design where some of history’s greatest have [worked]. It’s an opportunity I’ll likely never have again. I want to be able to take the techniques, influences and skills I garner on this trip and apply them to my own work. I’m excited to see how my body of work develops.”
After graduating this spring, Amaya hopes to continue his freelance work and move on to an internship at a design firm. Cantrell will graduate this December and has plans to pursue a master’s degree in interactive design in order to work for a civil liberties organization.
About the Department of Art
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, commercial photography and graphic arts and imaging technology, with minors in art history, studio art, commercial photography and graphic arts and imaging technology.
About Appalachian
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
The Netherlands
Map of the Netherlands