Ashley McClure is an extremely successful graduate of Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus.
Ashley graduated from Jac-Cen-Del High School in Osgood, Indiana, in 2002. She entered the graphic design program at Ivy Tech-Columbus directly after high school and enrolled in such classes as Fundamentals of Design, Typography, and Graphic Design. She comments, “I really enjoyed everything about the program. All the instructors were so helpful, knowledgeable, and available to meet with me if I had concerns about the class work. After finishing the courses, I really felt that I knew the “ins” and “outs” of the software being used in the design industry and felt ready to compete with graduates from other programs for the available positions out there.”
Ashley graduated with an associate of science degree in graphic design in 2004. After completing an internship with Dorel Juvenile Group in Columbus, she worked for All American Direct in Indianapolis and then with Accent Creative Group, a provider of graphic and logo design services in Indianapolis. Wanting to work closer to home, she took a position with Hill-Rom, a worldwide medical technology company, in Batesville, Indiana, where she currently develops marketing materials for sales representatives.
As a designer, Ashley decided to design all of her own wedding materials and then designed several of her friends’ wedding materials. After more and more people indicated their interest in having her design their wedding invitations, she launched her Nearly Hitched website (www.nearlyhitched.com) in early 2009. The first year, she designed materials for 14 weddings; the second year, for 18. Since she is working full-time with Hill-Rom and now has a toddler, she works with her website simply as a creative outlet and says, “If and when the time comes that Nearly Hitched is a full-time job, great! But for now, I’m just having fun with it!”
Ashley makes use of her graphic design education in both her full-time job and during those hours when she can just be creative and have fun! She is successful at both, and Ivy Tech is proud of her!
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.
COLUMBUS REGION
4475 Central Avenue, Columbus, Indiana 47203
812-372-9925 · www.ivytech.edu/columbus/