Art Students Featured in GDUSA Students to Watch 2020
FEBRUARY 25, 2020
Two students from Howard University’s Department of Art are featured in the February 2020 issue of Graphic Design USA (GDUSA). The annual “Students to Watch” honorees are selected from top art and design schools across the nation.
Chelsea Jackson and Asha Alaji-Sharif are graphic design majors at Howard and have exciting career plans in visual communication, entrepreneurship and publishing after graduation.
Chelsea Jackson is senior, visual artist from Las Vegas, NV. Through fashion and the arts, she manifests her spiritual gifts into a tangible and real form that she shares with others. She values shaping her goals not based on accolades or egos or what’s considered prestigious, but on the processes she thoroughly enjoys.
It’s lovely to be recognized and embraced for my design talents. I like to think that design is using what you have and being smart with it. As I progress into my education and creative career, I believe it is less about what people think about your work, and more so about how you feel when you make it and see it come to life. I am blessed to be a part of this program and I’m very excited for the future of my design process. Thank you GDUSA!
~ Chelsea Jackson, senior, graphic design major
Asha Alaji-Sharif is a junior, content creator, media personality and YouTuber. As a sophomore, she served as videographer for the Undergraduate Student Association, and released a documentary entitled The New Black. She aspires to be a magazine editor and plans to found a school for special needs students to learn visual and performing arts.
It is a privilege to be featured in GDUSA. As a triple minority, it is extremely hard to find people who look like me honored in the field of graphic design, so it is vital that I take this opportunity to propel me forward, pathing a way for young black creatives. I thank Dr. Miriam Ahmed for the nomination and her continued support in challenging my art. I aspire to be a magazine editor and eventually found a school for special needs students to learn visual and performing arts.
~ Asha Alaji-Sharif, junior, graphic design major
Chelsea and Asha join the Department of Art’s accomplished design students honored in the annual GDUSA Students to Watch issue. In 2019, Thi Nguyen and Lesley Pierrot were featured. In 2018, graphic design major, Jade Williams was selected as the feature’s cover, and in 2017, Katherine Downs and Cameron Crosby were also Students to Watch.
Check out the Students to Watch list in the February 2020 issue of GDUSA, or online at www.gdusa.com/studentstowatch2020.
The Department of Art congratulates exemplary graphic design majors, Chelsea Jackson and Asha Alaji-Sharif on this achievement. Go Bison!
