By Alona Elkayam

Career Meet Cute: The Moment I Knew I Found My Purpose

My story happened when I was in college. I dreamed of having a talk show like Barbara Walters or doing something in entertainment. My love for connecting and talking is not something you would not notice about me if you met me at a coffee shop or at a networking event.

Off I went to American University (I chose the best school with the heftiest scholarship) and their well-regarded School of Communication. But first, I had to take some liberal arts.

I read some of the elective descriptions. I chose America’s Quest For A Good Society because I loved history and then chose this other class that concerned itself with things I never thought existed.

“What’s t-y-p-o-g-r-a-p-h-y… ?”
“Dr. Professor Graham…”
“Yale…wow!”
“Design grid?”

The assignments in Professors Graham’s class went something like this:

Draw a letter in the font of your choice. In pencil. On a 12”x12”
grid.
Express a word typographically. For example, I chose Quagmire
and made it look like it was drowning at the center where the “g" and the “m” met.

It wasn’t until Professor Graham asked us to pick a letter and a number and create a logo for a made-up company that a lightbulb went off.

“You mean you draw stuff and build companies from drawing stuff?” I said to myself.

That was the moment I fell in love with graphic design. I realized I could have a trade that I loved and make a living doing it.

What’s your craft origin story?

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