Outstanding Graduate, Spring 2023
Taylor Spencer
BS in graphic information technology
Yakima, Washington
West Valley High School
Favorites
- Passion
- Graphic design
- Band
- Twenty-One Pilots
- Movie
- A Silent Voice
- Book
- Letters For My Brothers
- Geeky possession
- Manga collection
Taylor Spencer transferred to ASU after completing his associate’s degree at Yakima Valley College for the opportunity to pursue his passion of graphic design and experience something new. Though the weather was certainly different, he fell into a rhythm during this chapter of his life. That confidence led him to the certainty that he was doing exactly what he wanted to do, exactly where he wanted to be.
“I had this moment one night — nothing astronomical — when I was doing my work and realized there is nothing else I’d rather do for the rest of my life,” Spencer says. “I’ve realized throughout my academics that I have a voice and the ability to spark change and action through a visual lens.”
During his undergraduate studies in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Spencer was one of seven designers selected to participate in a selective design curriculum called GIT Creative Agency where he developed branding and advertisements for the ASU GIT Emerge exhibit. He was also a student worker at Work+, a program that gives students the opportunity to work with real clients on branding design and website development in order to give students a leg up on the competition after graduation.
He received the GIT Outstanding Design award twice and also won the Branding Systems and Campaign GIT Industry Award. Spencer attributes his success to Prescott Perez-Fox and Kassidy Beaux, his mentors and assistant professors of graphic design in The Polytechnic School.
“The enthusiasm and industry experience that my professors bring into their courses has been a major inspiration throughout my academics,” Spencer says. “I’ve become a more well-rounded and intentional designer thanks to their guidance and dedication to the program and students like me.”
He plans to move back to the Pacific Northwest after graduation to pursue a career as a graphic designer in a branding agency where he will develop campaigns that connect and bring people together.
Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Spring 2023 class here.
