Hi guys, welcome back to Student Stories. I'm
Jennifer Smith. We're glad to have you here with
us today. Today we are joined by an alum of Johnson
County Community College and a brand new friend.
Friend, please introduce yourself. Hi everybody,
I'm Liz. I am a recent graduate from Johnson
County Community College. I graduated with my
Associates of Applied Science in Graphic Design
in May. And yeah, I've just been looking around,
hanging out. So you and I have something in common.
When we were offline doing our pre -interview
and getting to know each other, you mentioned
graduating from Gardner -Edgerton High School.
Sure did. We live in Gardner and my daughter
also graduated from Gardner -Edgerton High School.
How cool is that? How small is the room? I know.
It's crazy when you said that because usually
when I say I live in Gardner, people are like,
okay, where is that? And I'd be like, um, Aletha,
basically. So when you were like, oh, I know
Gardner. I live in Gardner. I was like... Okay,
that's crazy. So yeah, that was weird. It's weird
for weird for me Do you want to share with our
listeners the story of the pictures that I sent?
Oh my gosh. Yeah So when we were talking you
mentioned your daughter Erin and so I like vaguely
remembered the name but I think she was a few
years older than me so I asked my boyfriend who
also went to Garner Edgerton and Apparently they
were in theater together for like a while So
that was crazy. And then you sent me all these
old pictures of him and I was like, oh my gosh,
that's crazy. When I told Erin, I'm like, I think
I know someone that you know. She's like, mom,
I'm going to send you the pictures. I'm like,
OK. I showed them to him and he was so embarrassed.
He was like, oh, I hate it. Was he like, oh my
god, that's crazy because I'm younger than? Yeah,
he just he doesn't look like that at all anymore.
He has like a beard now. Oh, well, like longer
hair. Yeah, well, longer hair, but longer than
in those pictures. He's like a crew cut in those
pictures. It's nothing like that. So you shared
with me your journey to coming to Johnson County
Community College and how kind of a detour on
your academic path and kind of brought you into
some place you never thought you would be. So
can you share that story with our listeners and
our viewers on YouTube? For sure. So originally
when I graduated high school, I had taken some
like quick step classes through my high school
to get. college credit but I didn't like really
think about going to community college. Initially
I actually wanted to go to KU for their visual
communications program and I applied and I was
accepted in everything but it was like way more
money than I could afford and they had recently
gotten rid of their like big Pell Grant scholarship
so they wouldn't pay for my tuition anymore so
I was like well I can't go there so let me go
to Johnson County for a few years to like get
my gen ed and everything out of the way and then
I'll go back to KU and then I never went back
to KU and I just got my degree from Johnson County
because the program is so great and yeah I think
it was a good choice like I ended up getting
enough financial aid to like really support me
through school so I wasn't worried about any
finances or anything that's amazing and so I
really focused a lot on my work and everything
so So tell us about the visual arts program here
at Johnson County Community College. How long
does it take? If you had a favorite class or
professor? Yeah, so I was actually a dual major
in the fine arts and the graphic design program,
but I only ended up getting my degree in the
graphic design program. But so that program,
it takes around three years. It can be done in
two or three, depending on how big you want your
course load to be. So for me, I did it full time,
but I only took four classes, so it took me three
years. But it was a really pretty comprehensive
program. All the professors are super nice. They
really support you and like work with you if
you have any issues. Shout out to Mr. Kidwell.
These awesome. But yeah, it was just all my professors.
I just like was really close with them. So it's
a great program. That's wonderful. And I'm seeing
that happen with more people we interview. Everybody
says kind of the same thing, you know, that the
faculty is really supportive here. Yes. They
count their success when you succeed. Yeah. You
know, and they're genuinely invested in you.
And so that's wonderful that you had that, you
know, very similar experience as well. What sparked
your love, would you say, for design and the
visual arts? and how those fields always been
of interest to you or did like, did you have
a moment where you're like, wow, I'm really interested
in this? Yeah, actually it kind of came as a
shock because for a while in high school, I thought
I wanted to be a veterinarian for like three
years. Obviously that didn't happen. I think
I tore in one school and I was like, you know
what? Eight years, eight years of school is not
for me. So then I really got into ceramics at
my high school and I was like, oh, I'm going
to do art. And then COVID happened and I was
like, well, I need something like Not that art
can't support you, but I was like, I need something
maybe a little bit more stable, which design
is not stable if you didn't know, but I didn't
know that. So I ended up going into design from
there and I actually like it a lot just because
I'm kind of a type A person. So I like when there's
like rules, I guess. I'm very much like that
too. I like structure a lot, which they're it's
good and bad that there isn't a lot in art, but
in design, I feel like there's a little bit more
structure and then I can learn more. And just,
yeah. And you said you graduated in May. In May,
yeah. What have you been doing since you graduated?
Yeah, so I took an internship right after I graduated
at MMGY Global. So they're an advertising agency
based in Overland Park, but they have offices
like all over the world. And so there I was an
art director for the summer and I got to work
with a great team of other interns and I met
so many people and it was awesome. But then after
that ended, I've been doing just like some freelance
side work. whenever I can get my hands on and
that I've been doing some art, painting, sculpture
stuff. So that was actually my next question
was about your freelance work. Can you share
with our listeners and our viewers on YouTube
what kinds of freelance work you've been doing?
Yeah, so I've done like not much freelance work.
I've done maybe a few posters, but it's been
mostly my art stuff. So like I'm working on this
painting right now. That's super cool. But it's
not done yet. So I don't have anywhere. Can you,
do you want to share a little bit about that
painting or not yet? You kind of want to let
it take shape? Not yet, yeah. I'm like, I kind
of am secretive about my work a little bit. I
don't believe you at all. I don't believe you
at all. Not at all. And then what it does is
it builds suspense and so we're excited to see
it, you know, it finally happens. Sure, sure.
If a listener to our program or a viewer on YouTube
would be interested in seeing any of the work
that you have done, do you have a website or?
I do have a website. I have a website, it's kind
of janky. It's N -I -I -X -O -N -E -A dot com,
which is my last name with two I's. Okay. My
initials. But all my graphic design work is on
there. So if you want to look more at my design
stuff, it's on there. Perfect. I don't really
have my finer stuff posted. Like I said, I'm
secretive about it. That's okay. That's okay.
Now, if somebody would, if a listener or a viewer
would want to hire you for freelance work, could
they contact you through your website? Yes. Okay.
Perfect. Perfect. My email and everything is
listed on there. So just go to the website. It's
all. It's all on there. Perfect. Perfect. So
let's shake things up And talk about some fun
questions sure last movie you saw go. Um, it
was scream because it was just Halloween. Oh,
yeah And it was the one with Matthew Lillard
in it like first one. I love him Cuz I'd never
seen it before and I'm like, no I watched it
in my room with I watched it in my room, a little
bit tipsy with some of my friends. It was a great
experience. I love that movie. It's awesome.
Yeah. I don't know. There's something fun about
doing it in the theater. And then there's also
something fun about being home with your own
bathroom and your own thing. You know what I
mean? Real. Nobody bumping into you. None of
that crazy stuff. Real, real, real, real. Absolutely.
Are you bingeing anything right now on the streaming?
Yes. Oh, tell us. Supernatural. Supernatural.
It's my first time watching it all the way through.
So when I was younger, I watched like the first
five seasons of it when it was only like six
seasons. And now it's like 15 seasons. So I have
a lot to get through. That is a lot to get through.
But I've been watching a lot of Supernatural
and I started Grey's Anatomy. Yeah. Never watched
it before. I'm not sure how I'm liking it, but
it's... It's crazy I'm like do I keep going I
was a big ER person. Yes. Okay. Yeah, and so
my husband was like I don't get you. Why is it
that you call it entertainment when you see something
that breaks your heart and you ball for three
weeks? I would. I would be like, oh, that person
died. And my husband's like, babe, that person's
at Starbucks with their spouse. It's all good,
babe. It's all good. No real. I'm like watching
it. I'm like, it's like the second episode and
we're already like, what are we doing? Yeah.
I, there's like no hospital here. Yeah. I'm trying
to feel it. I'm trying to feel Grey's Anatomy
and it's just not. but I don't know about you,
but it is all over my social media. Like every
time I open TikTok, it's like cute little puppies,
cute little kids dancing, angry and all that.
Really? And knitting patterns. Knitting patterns,
period. I'm like, why? I'm not a nurse. I don't
watch the show. Honestly, I try to stay off of
social media, because I think it's bad for my
mental health a little bit. It's very bad for
you. It's very bad. But when I am on... on there
I do see it like sometimes like I'm like what
is even crazy but no I get you I get you yeah
um so what about books are you reading anything
or do you have a favorite book that you've read
um currently I am I just reread through all the
Hunger Games books and I'm just about to start
Sunrise on the Reaping which is like the new
one so hoping it's good um I'm reading that I'm
reading through um what's it called it's Akatar
a court of roses and thorns and roses yeah I
forgot what... It's cold, but I'm reading through
that for the first time I'm like the third book
and I get it. I get why book talk is obsessed
I understand It's funny about books. I was you
know, I'm older. I'm 53. So yeah, I did the book
thing growing up and you know the Scholastic
book club if you know, you know I just kind of
got out of reading for the love of ya lately.
I've come back to it Yeah, and something that
I've discovered that I really love these books
on tape like audio. Okay. Yes my My mom is such
a books on tape person. She loves audiobooks.
And I'm like, I can't do it. I can't focus. Really?
Oh my gosh, because I can like knit and listen?
Nope. She does it with crochet. She does the
exact same thing. And I'm like, I tried listening
to an audiobook and then I'm like an hour in
and I'm like, I don't remember what happened
the last hour. And it's interesting when they
have like different voice actors on there because
you're like, okay, which one are you again? I
like when they have that. I don't like when it's
the same person trying to do a voice, especially
when it's a woman trying to do a man's voice,
like all sexy. And I'm like... Oh, I'm like,
what are we doing? Yeah. Yeah. Do you have Libby
on your phone? Are you familiar? I do. I have
Libby on my phone and I have it transfer the
books onto my Kindle. I have it in my bag right
now. But I have it transferred to my my old Kindle
Touch from like 2011. Love that. Love that thing.
Love that. So if you're not familiar with Libby,
if you love books at all, you've got to get it.
It's a free app you can download on your phone.
And then if you have a library card like it,
Aletha or Johnson. or North Kansas City, you
can link your library card to your Libby and
then get books, magazines, anything sent straight
to you. So for free. Yeah, for free. And it's
really cool because if there's a magazine that
you like, like me, I'm a knitter. So I love all
the knit magazines. I don't want to pay for them.
So that's really, really cool. So you can get
audio books as well as book books. And as Liz
said, you can download this into your e -reader
device, which is super awesome. You can't find
people on the, you can find people on Goodreads
though. Yes, you can. So like, like if we were
friends on Goodreads, I could be like, Oh, Liz
is reading that guitar right now. That's so cool.
Liz said, don't read this book. Do you have a
favorite song or musician or like if I stole
your phone, what would your Spotify? Oh boy.
Um, my Spotify right now. So I'm one of those
people that I listen to everything. And when
I say that, I actually listen to everything.
Like, I know sometimes people are like, I listen
to everything, but I don't listen to country.
I don't listen to anyone. No, I actually listen
to everything. So right now, the most recent
artists on my phone are like, I have Pierce the
Veil on there, and Zara Larsen on there. Zara
Larsen. I'm drawing a blank. I have like cursive
on there. I think I have Lip Biscuit on there
right now. Lip Biscuit. I love Lip Biscuit. My
bad. I just, I have a lot and it changes with
the seasons. Sure. Oh yeah. And then the thing
about, one of the really good things about social
media, at least for me with TikTok is I hear
songs and I'm like, what is that? You know, and
then like I've been turned on to a lot of new
artists that way. So that's really, really cool.
I'm like you, I love, I'm like you, I love every
kind of music. Yeah. And so what a great, you
know, how lucky are we to be alive today with
access to - Like, you know, there's instant music
right away and the ability to share music with
other people and say, hey, Liz, you know, I'm
going to send you a link of this great song.
You better check it out. So we're really, really
fortunate to live today when we do. I always
love to ask our guests this question, so I'm
going to ask you as well. Assuming that money
and time were no object, you had a gajillion,
bajillion dollars, you had a million hours, no
commitments, no work, no nothing, how would you
spend your time and how would you spend that
money? Oh boy. I wish that was real. I know,
right? First of all. So what happens is Jen and
Liz and Zach are leaving because we just got
a lot of money. Totally. Just kidding. Honestly,
I would travel. I want to travel so bad. I never
have really had the opportunity to travel. I've
never been outside the country, which is upsetting,
but I would travel. I would go everywhere. Where
would you start? Oh boy. I know that's a hard
one, isn't it? Yeah. I would probably go... This
answer is so nerdy. I would go to Japan Just
cuz it's so different. It's beautiful. I Whenever
I say that they're like, oh you want to go cuz
like anime and I'm like, no, it's because it's
pretty there No, there's not but I just yeah,
I'll go there I would go to Europe All through
Europe, everywhere. I lived in Europe for three
years. Really? So yeah, I lived in Germany for
three years. But my dad was in the army. Oh,
OK. And so we were stationed there. That makes
sense. But I was really, really young. And I
wish I'd been older, to have the adult capacity
to appreciate the culture and the food and whatnot.
So yeah, if you need somebody to go with you
as a travel buddy, have your people call my people.
I will go with you in a New York minute. Yeah,
I have a friend that she just travels everywhere.
And I'm so jealous that she gets the opportunity.
I'm like, that should be me. That should be me.
And again, the good thing about the internet
is like, you can kind of go there, you know,
like, I remember in COVID at the very beginning
of COVID, there were sites like that where there
were like cameras put up at parks and you could
see what it actually looked like on the outside,
which was really nice because back then we were
sheltered in place and you can't really go anywhere,
you know, and I used to go for drives in COVID,
like after work, I would just get in a car and
drive and there was nobody out there. And it
was like, it's because gas was so expensive.
So while you were a student here at JCCC, was
there a place that you liked to go to study on
campus or did you study more at home or like
at Starbucks? Honestly, I really liked the Think
I have a few places. Okay, I'm trying not to
gatekeep them But I'm not here anymore, so it's
fine Honestly, I really liked in the library.
There's like that little coffee shop there Yeah,
if you go a little bit further in and there's
like those boots and if you can get one of those
boots Yeah, it's fantastic. But usually they're
all taken unless you go really early in the morning
Yes, that's the only time or Honestly, in the
fine arts building, just because I was like in
the fine arts major and everything, I was in
there a lot. And there's like this studio kind
of upstairs. And so I would go sit up there or
I would sit outside when it was nice out. Like
right now in the grass, beautiful anywhere. Yeah.
Won't be so long. That's going to get cold. I
know. We're going to edit this part out while
I figure out what it was. I'm going to drink
some water while you wait on it. Hold on. So
on the topic of studying, we're coming into final
season as you know. Oh boy. From your times here
at JCCC, did you have any like study skills or
any things that you used, any techniques that
you used to stay organized or stay on top of
things that maybe our listeners might benefit
from? Yeah, so to be completely honest, Not really
So in the graphic design program there's like
not a lot of traditional finals like tests you
have to take it's more so like You have a big
project due at the end. So it's kind of just
work on your big project Yeah, but when I had
finals for like my gen eds and stuff I I Wasn't
very good at them. So I would study I was definitely
big into like writing things down and like muscle
memory So I think that but I don't know I just
kind of figured it out. Yeah, you just kind of
figured it out. Yeah. I hate to admit it, but
yeah. Yeah. I mean, being in like, like I'm in
music and you're, you were in visual arts, that
kind of design, you know, that kind of thing
is very specialized. It would be different if
your degree was like no shade, but like history
or architecture. Yeah. So there's more like written
tests and stuff. Like bookwork. For my major,
I was like, Oh, I have like a cereal box too.
Yeah. For me, I have like 25 bars. Yeah. Yeah.
Absolutely. So it's a little bit different, but
um. Like for me personally, it was like setting
aside blocks of time to work on my project and
I'll be like, I'm going to do it tomorrow. And
then I wouldn't get to it. That like procrastination
is terrible. Like tomorrow never comes. You know
what I mean? And now it's tomorrow and it's due
tomorrow. Tomorrow is due tomorrow and I have
25 hours of work. Holy crap. Like how did this
happen? I think it could translate is just really
like schedule out your time and set like two
hours to just study or work on your project or
whatever. And make sure you hold yourself to
that because I'm definitely. Like, I would do
that and then not do it. And then I would be
SOL. And I'm like, wait, I needed to actually
do that, so. And then you're rushed and then
you don't put your best foot forward. Exactly.
You know what I mean? Exactly. So yeah. So as
I mentioned, of course, we're coming into finals.
But as we come into finals, we're also coming
into the holiday season. Yes. Do you have any
fun plans for the holidays or any traditions
or anything you're looking forward to? I mean,
the holidays, I'm looking forward to them. I'm
looking forward to seeing family. I'm a big family
person. I have a very large family. Very large.
Do you still have family in Gardner? Yes. Nice.
Yes. Most of my immediate family is in Gardner,
which is nice. But we usually go out of town
and visit with some family members that live
out of town. I guess I don't know how to say
it. Yeah. Then aren't located. Do you drive or
do you fly? We drive. Luckily, most of them are
in Kansas. I think all of them are in Kansas
now. Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Well, as we come
to the end of our time together, is there anything
else that you'd like to share with our listeners,
maybe about graduating, maybe about post college
life, anything in general? Yeah, after graduating,
don't be too hard on yourself. The job market
is kind of crazy right now and you are not your
job. Show yourself grace and patience. Absolutely.
It's been a little crazy trying to find full
time work right now. I'm not going to lie. But
you can also flip that and you have all this
free time. So now do the things that you wanted
to do while you were busy in school that you
won't have time to do when you're working full
time. So I've been doing a lot more. Fine arts
and painting and stuff that like I didn't have
time to do when I was in school So right so find
what you're passionate about and engage in it,
you know To the to the greatest extent that you
can with your energy and your time. That's a
much more eloquent way to put it. Yeah One more
time for our viewers on YouTube and our listeners
on the streaming platforms Where can we find
your freelance work and how can we sign up to
potentially hire you? Yeah, so if you want to
hire me and if you would be so kind um my website
is nixonea .com so it's n -i -i -x -o -n -e -a
.com um and that has all my work in my portfolio
and all the good stuff about me on there so all
right n -i -x -o -n -e -a .com Liz Nixon, thank
you so much for joining us today on our Student
Stories segment. Student Stories segment. That's
hard to say. Student Stories segment. We're on
every Wednesday, guys, with a brand new Student
Stories segment. We're thrilled that you were
with us here today, and we hope to see you next
Wednesday. Thank you so much. Bye.