Celebrating the class of ’23

Maddie Morton
Fall 2023

Starting the diploma program was a bit scary for me. Since I was fresh out of high school, I was worried people were going to look down on me or not take me seriously because of my age. That wasn’t the case at all! After a couple of days, it was easier to recognize my cohort mates, and we made a group chat shortly after! We quickly grew close, went on McDonald’s and Timmy’s runs during our breaks, and enjoyed learning more about each other as the semesters went on.

We all had different starting points. Some of us (like myself) had fine arts backgrounds, and others had never drawn for fun in their life. The crits were sometimes brutal, but we never regretted it. Seeing my classmate’s different styles has helped me further develop my own. Sometimes, things that we thought would look good didn’t turn out as great as we hoped, and sometimes, things that we thought would look horrible ended up looking fantastic! I remember my classmate Ethan coming to the Hive before class, muttering about our current project to another classmate. I asked him what was up, and he replied, “Eric told me to try it in a different colour! I had already tried that colour, and it looked horrible! But then he told me to print it!” I asked him how it turned out. “Well, of COURSE, it looks better! I don’t even know how he does it!” We all burst out laughing. We played Minecraft together, went bowling, and celebrated at the end of every semester. After all, we all put so much energy, heart, soul, and effort into our projects! Hard work is something to be celebrated!

The group I met through the GDD Diploma couldn’t have been better. There was never a time I dreaded coming to UFV. In fact, a lot of us would show up way before class even started just so we could chat and get opinions from each other about our projects. There were days that I showed up to school at 8:30 in the morning and didn’t get home until 7 at night. I never once wished it was different. My classmates and my professors have always motivated me. I’ve created stuff that I never thought I was capable of, all due to critiques and support from my professors and classmates. Everyone was so friendly and uplifting with each other, and I will carry everyone’s support with me into my experience with my BFA Degree.

The industry can be challenging, but I do not doubt all my old classmates can find jobs. You guys can do it! You got this! Remember to use grids! I’m rooting for every single one of you.