SUMMER 2011

CALLING
ALL
MENTORS
By Kelsey Voorhees
10th Quarter Graphic Design (BS)
A
iGA is the national professional association for design. According to
information provided on their website, AiGA’s mission is to advance
design as a professional craft, a strategic tool, and a vital cultural force.
“We’re committed to design—and to more than 22,000 members in
66 chapters who create, inspire and appreciate good design. AiGA’s members are
the lifeblood of the organization.”
The Art Institutes International Minnesota’s (Ai Minnesota) AiGA student organization
was formally known as AiGD, until the group’s recent official status was established
with AiGA. The mission of Ai Minnesota’s AiGA student organization is
to bring the professional and student design communities together and to provide
networking opportunities for students within the extended community.
When I first came to Ai Minnesota, I was fresh out of high school and had no idea
what I was doing. I wasn’t really involved in high school, but I was determined
not to slack in college.
I decided to be involved and active in extra-curricular activities. I joined AiGD
and a few other groups. I really had no idea what the AiGD was, let alone what
AiGA was, I just did what people told me to do.
Today, I am the president of the student group affiliated with AiGA. We have
made great progress and plan on continuing it, but the most common questions I
receive are, “What is it?” and “What am I suppose to do?” This is a problem.
AiGD is all about networking and building connections between the student
design community and the professional design community. We provide opportunities
for students by engaging them in different AiGA events, like lectures, design
competitions, and networking social events, just to name a few.
We also host different competitions at school, and have peer critiques as well. In
general, we provide a co-curricular community for students to learn about design
and prepare for their future career.
To build enthusiasm and support education, we are starting up a mentor program,
and we need involved students who have been here for at least 5 quarters. The
goal is to help new students by going to events with them, by helping them with
critiques, and by assisting with class assignments.
Ideally, we want new students to participate in their community of learning,
and we want them to experience value as a result. We also want to maintain the
excitement of discovery that new students feel when they first begin, and which
may fade as students near graduation.
If you are interested in being a mentor, or would like to participate in any way,
please contact the student chapter of AiGA through the office of Student Affairs,
or look it up on the college’s website. Remember, there is no student community
without the involvement of students.