Megan Lee, a sophomore in the Graphic Design Technology program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus, was recognized as the winning logo designer at the Jan. 12 grand opening of the John S. and James L. Knight Nonprofit Organization Center in Gulfport. The center serves as an umbrella agency that provides services and facilities to other non-profit organizations on the Gulf Coast.
Several GDT students submitted logo designs to the center, with Lee’s design selected as the winner. “It was a class assignment, and once I turned in the project to my instructor, Jeff Jones, I didn’t think about it anymore,” she said. “When Mr. Jones told the class that my logo was the winning design, I couldn’t believe it. Having my design chosen to be used by a community agency is thrilling.”
Jones, GDT instructor at Gulf Coast since 1994, said “The students and I were thrilled when, in August 2008, the Knight Nonprofit Center contacted us about possible design work. Our graphic design majors have interned and worked on various projects with great success for a variety of Coast community organizations, including the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce.
“When Kathryn Satcher, with the Gulf Coast Business Council, told us that the Knight Nonprofit Center Board thought that our students’ designs were ‘wonderful’ and had chosen Megan Lee’s design, we were thrilled. The students and I enjoy working on creative projects. Some projects have a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction. The Knight Nonprofit Center project was one of those great projects,” Jones explained.
At the Jan. 12 ceremony, Morris Strickland, president of the Knight Nonprofit Center Board of Directors, stressed how important it was to have the logo provided by the GDT program. “We are a non-profit organization, and knowing that we had such an outstanding design program to call on was a relief. We offer our thanks to Mr. Jones for all he did in setting this up and for his leadership. We especially appreciate Megan Lee for her work on the design.”
Lee, a Stone County resident and graduate of Stone High School, said she decided to become a graphic-design major during high school. “I’ve always loved to draw then scan my pictures into the computer to work on them. One of my friends suggested I do something in graphic arts, and it just stuck. I enjoy both the artistic side and the computer/technical side of the work.” She plans to get a local job in the field after she graduates in May.
