MVCTC Class of 2016 Spotlight, Erica Bell
Englewood, Ohio – Erica Bell is a senior in the Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) Graphic Commercial Art program from Miamisburg.
Erica shared, “Art and the process of creating it has been a huge passion of mine since I was three years old. I've been drawing all of my life, but when I started high school, I let loads of academic and extracurricular activities fill my schedule so full that I had little to no time to dedicate to my art. When I visited MVCTC as a sophomore and saw the opportunity I had to spend three hours a day in a creative environment drawing, painting, designing, and creating, I knew that I had to explore CTC and all that it has to offer more deeply. CTC offered me the opportunity to study and pursue my passion and my career. Ultimately, the decision to come to MVCTC was a hard one that took a lot of thinking and praying, but looking back on the two years I've spent here, I can definitely say that I am so glad I chose to come. The growth I've seen in my artistic abilities is unlike anything I could have hoped for, and the friends and experiences are some of my favorite from high school.”
When asked her favorite part of attending MVCTC, Erica shared, “I like the atmosphere that is formed in lab the best. The Graphic Commercial Art Lab is like a family, and being surrounded by people who have the same likes and passions as you, and who want to see you and help you improve just as much as you do is so special. I've made so many close friends here, both in lab and outside of lab, and the support they give me along with the support my teachers give me makes MVCTC all the more amazing.”
Erica described her experiences attending MVCTC, “MVCTC has allowed me to rediscover my love and passion for art. As a junior in Mr. Spitler's lab, I was able to direct my focus solely onto my art and my identity as an artist. I got to spend hours a day sharpening my skills as an artist and learned all sorts of techniques, tricks, and styles. As a senior in Mrs. Hetzer's lab, I've discovered a joy for designing I never knew I had, and I've had the opportunities to compete in multiple SkillsUSA competitions to showcase my design skills and my fluency in the Adobe Suite(Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign). It's hard to describe just how much MVCTC and my Graphic Art teachers have helped me grow and mature as an artist, but I can say without a doubt that had I not come here, I definitely wouldn't be as dedicated as an artist as I am today.”
Erica described her future plans, “The Graphic Art Lab has given me an extremely strong foundation in the basics of art and design. Even though I've decided that graphic design is not the artistic major that best fits me, I am still able to apply all of the concepts I've learned in class to my future career as an art educator. The Graphic Commerical Ar lab has given me a vast knowledge and appreciation of the art world, and I can use this knowledge in whatever field I choose to go into.”
After graduating MVCTC, Erica plans to attend Taylor University in Upland, Indiana to pursue a degree in Education, either Art education or English education. Eventually, she hopes to teach at the middle school level. Erica said, “I want to have as big as an impact on my own students as my teachers have had on me.”
While attending MVCTC Erica earned multiple scholarships to all of the universities she has been accepted to (Taylor University, the Ohio State University, Kent State University, etc.). She plans on using the President's Scholarship she earned at Taylor for her GPA and ACT score to attend Taylor. It is $14,000/year and is the highest merit scholarship award she can get at Taylor.
Erica is the daughter of Doug and Rhonda Bell of Miamisburg.
For over 40-years, MVCTC has been providing career technical education for 27 partner school districts encompassing five counties in Southwest Ohio. MVCTC is dedicated to providing in-demand workforce training for youth, adults, and organizations in the Miami Valley.
For more information about MVCTC, visit www.mvctc.com.
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Photo – Erica Bell, Graphic Commercial Art student from Miamisburg hopes to use her passion for art and education to become a teacher some day.
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