Alumni

After graduation I stayed in SLO working for Ernie Ball until their design department relocated to Southern California. I decided not to follow and instead moved back to my home town in the SF East Bay Area. I now work for a software company called WildPackets as part of their in-house design team.

Michelle Cheng (formerly Lui)
Email: mshell20@hotmail.com

Hello! After I graduated in 2000, I worked for a design firm in San Jose for about a year. I got laid off and then God brought me back to San Luis Obispo in 2002. I worked for the Family Care Network as an In-House Designer for three years, it was the BEST and most rewarding job ever! I loved it so much. I wouldn't want to leave this place if I weren't getting married. I got married in July 2005 and moved to Camarillo. I am currently looking for a design job in Ventura area. My goal is to start my own Greeting Card Design Company. It is great to keep in touch with everyone.

Michael Cordell
Business website: www.dorstcordell.com
Email: mike@dorstcordell.com

Hi. I moved down to Orange County an early 2003 and opened a design studio with CalPoly alum Brian Dorst. It's called DorstCordell. We spent weeks coming up with the name. Graphic Design for Print.Web.Fashion. That's us.

Jaime Emery
Email: powerhousegraphics@earthlink.net

After taking a short break from being a ski bum in order to graduate from Cal Poly, I returned to Lake Tahoe in the winter of 2000. I freelanced a bit as well as desinged for some local snowboard companies, broke 7 bones, had 2 surgeries, and I walk like an old lady (all snowboard related). Now I am involved in real estate in Lake Tahoe and my hobbies involve less time spent in the emergency room. I still freelance for local businesses, but I seem to be more suited for a stress-free, deadline-free life!

Erin Ferree
Business website: www.elf-design.com
Email: elf@elf-design.com

I moved up to the Bay Area right after graduating, and worked in-house and at agencies for a bit. My heart was never really in it - I always knew that I wanted to start my own firm. I started elf design in 2001. I now specialize in designing logos and brand identities for entrepreneurs across the country. I also do a lot of website design. And, I'm writing my first book - a cookbook on hummus recipes.

Stephanie Gile
Email: none

I worked for 3 years at a small company in San Diego called Patera. It specialized mostly in corporate literature, but they also do a few magazines, on which I primarily worked. Last April, I had a baby girl and now I am a stay-at-home-mom and am loving every minute of it. A big hello to all my Art and Design buddies!

Lori Jackson
Business website: hob.com
Email: lalulustar@sbcglobal.net

I'm still at House of Blues!

carole leung
Business website: www.mills-peninsula.org
Email: leungc@sutterhealth.org

Boy! It was a struggle right after I graduated from Poly. I ended up working as a Customer Service Rep. at a printing company, freelancing on my own for awhile, then got a graphic design job at a small advertising/publishing company. And finally, through the help of a fellow Poly friend (also a Graphic Designer major), I landed a job as an in-house Graphic Designer at Mills-Peninsula Health Services. Life is starting to get better! =) I'll be getting married this September as well.

Ian Nyquist
Business website: www.nyquistdesign.com
Email: ian@nyquistdesign.com

My wife and I own and run a design studio in Los Gatos, CA (Nyquist Design). We specialize in print and digital media.

Ardalan Payvar
Personal website: www.tactdesign.com/ardalan
Business website: www.tactdesign.com
Email: ardalan@tactdesign.com

Moved up to the Bay Area after graduation. I currently live in San Francisco and work as freelance designer. Recently looked up some Cal Poly graduates and was very impressed by their accomplishments. I'd be glad to hear from any old classmates from Poly.

Carly Roben
Email: carly_roben@yahoo.com

I started doing graphic design in SF for about one year after graduation but decided my heart was in teaching. I traveled, went back to school, got my teaching credential, and started my masters. I now teach seventh grade language arts and religion at a Catholic school in San Jose. I love it! The masters is almost done- thank God. Although I miss designing, I feel I am in the right place.

Chris Schmauch
Personal website: www.chrisandbecky.com
Business website: www.thewavemag.com
Email: chris@3dboy.tv

Hey everyone! After graduating in 2000 I went through a couple startups that didn't work out, then joined a great group of entrepreneurs in December 2000. We started a Bay Area Entertainment & Lifestyle magazine called The Wave. I've been the Art/Design Director since we started, and we're still growing strong here in Silicon Valley, printing over 100,000 issues every other week. I typically create all the covers, some layout, some ads, and a lot of photography. It's basically my dream job. I got married in March 2003 to my College sweetie Becky, and we have a beautiful 17-month-old daughter. We currently own a condo in San Jose, but hope to eventually move up into an actual house someday!

Allison Shanks
Email: lnspltr@mac.com

I am leaving the Gap behind. My husband found a great job in LA so we are headed south.

Aaron Trask
Personal website: www.aarontraskdesign.com
Business website: www.dragonflydg.com
Email: aaronbtrask@alumni.calpoly.edu

Hello all you Art and Design web-surfers. So In 2000 I graduated from Cal Poly, but first I met Peter Godefroy at the portfolio review. 4 years later (after a long struggle to become an effects artist) I have finally hooked up with him in my hometown of Sherman Oaks and we have been designing together ever sense. So, I guess you could say I got sidetracked, but Peter pulled me back into graphic design. As a graphic designer I am connecting with the community I grew up in ways I never could have imagined possible. Whether we are at a luncheon with the Mayor of Los Angeles, taking a tour of Long Beach harbor, or creating the poster for the Sherman Oaks street fair, I have never felt closer to my community.

Dave Wagner
Business website: www.davewagner.biz
Email: dave@davewagner.biz

After graduating I worked for Douglas Bouman & Associates, a fine art and mural company in SLO, for a couple of years. They sent me on a three week job to Saudi Arabia, which was interesting. Now that I think about it, they might have been trying to get rid of me. Then I worked for a party promotions company in Barcelona, Spain. I got back last Sept. I plan to attend the California College of the Arts this fall to study illustration.

Carrie Weston (formerly Schaefer)
Personal website: www.carrieweston.com
Business website: www.carrieweston.com
Email: carrieweston@sbcglobal.net

While working in S.F. as a graphic designer out of college for a few years, I continued to make jewelry for myself and friends - eventually designing an entire line. I now have over 50 accounts worldwide in the US, Japan & Canada & am running my business while working as lead jewelry designer for a Southern California based company called Mod Jewelry. I am now happily married & enjoying the Southern California sun with my husband here in Newport Beach. Drop me a line - I'd love to hear from some good ol' Alumni!

Photography and Digital Imagery

Jennifer Bullock
Business website: www.jimerickson.com
Email: jenny@jimerickson.com

Currently I'm producing for photographer Jim Erickson and living in SF. Always balancing work and play, yoga and surfing have become an important part of my life. Great Cal Poly network up here, I welcome students to contact me if I can be of service. Cheers and be well.

Veronica Murray
Email: toddveronica2005@yahoo.com

Charlie Peterson
Personal website: www.charliepeterson.com
Email: charlie@charliepeterson.com

Hey everyone. I am up in San Francisco. I work in Palo Alto (not Photography though). Feel free to click on my web link, although there probably won't be anything there (soon there will be). Feel free to drop me a line.

Teresa Vigil
Business website: www.temptingweddings.com
Email: teresa@temptingweddings.com

The most important thing I did was become Christian-everything else fell in order. I did some graphic design work for a while, brochures, some web work, got married :) and decieded that I wanted to be in photography again. I have my own wedding business with my husband-he shoots also. I just bought a canon 20D and a Bronica med format and I love life. I appreciate every single thing that school has taught me, from Marta Pelusa to all the great professors at Cal Poly- Bob, Sky, Kurt, Eric, Michael, George and Robert Densham! I highly recommend Cal Poly's Art and Design courses. I often tell different people to contact the school for the best recruitee's around.