Hello, my name is Natalie Repp. I am a senior art student here at Stockton University. I am set to graduate in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Visual Communications with a minor in Business Administration. My journey as an artist began like most do, with crayons and colored pencils; however, I did not truly discover my passion for art and design until my freshman year of high school. The high school that I attended was Cumberland County Technical Education Center, a technical school wherein all students are enrolled in programs that relate to specific professional fields. The program that I was enrolled in was Engineering Technology, a field that I chose because it was the field in which my father is professionally employed. When I first applied to CCTEC, I felt pretty confident that I would go on to pursue a degree and employment in Engineering; however, as I began to take classes and do work relating to Engineering, I found that I was frequently overwhelmed with feelings of boredom and frustration. At the same time, the Graphic Design class in which I was enrolled left me feeling engaged and proud of the work that I was doing. Graphic Design never felt like a chore, so when it came time to finally decide on what degree I was going to pursue, I chose to leave Engineering behind.
I was initially very nervous regarding my ability to make appealing designs. My high school only offered the singular Graphic Design class in my freshman year, so I felt that my artistic skills were likely unrefined when compared to my classmates. Additionally, I felt the logic-based and problem-oriented mindset that I had acquired over the years as an Engineering student meant that I lacked the creativity necessary to create interesting designs; however, over the course of these past few years, I have found that being an exceptional illustrator is not an element that is entirely necessary to being a great designer. Also, my skills in logic and problem-solving enhance my creativity by allowing me to think outside the box, quickly devise multiple solutions to a design challenge that not only look good but also fit the specs/criteria presented. Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to seamlessly combine the analytical with the imaginative to create designs that clearly communicate the client’s vision, all the while engaging the viewer.
Site Link: https://sites.google.com/view/nataliereppportfolio/home?authuser=2
