Catching Up With Previous National Scholarship Competition 2011 Winner Angelica Villegas

Talent can open a multitude of opportunities for those who pursue it. That was the case for 2011 National Scholarship Competition Recipient Angelica Villegas, who won for her graphic design submission. She received a full-year scholarship to FIDM, becoming actively involved in college as a Photography Intern and Student Writer. Eventually, she graduated at the top of her class as the Valedictorian. Currently, Villegas works as the Senior Graphic Designer of Visual Merchandising at True Religion. We were able to sit down with her and find out how the National Scholarship Competition changed her life. See what she had to say below.

When did you win the National Scholarship Competition?

"I won the National Scholarship Competition for Graphic Design in 2011. I remember that the deadline for submissions was around the same time as AP Testing season, so I recall juggling studying and trying to put together a design project that I had no experience in doing. I ended up finishing the project at FedEx on the last day that it had to be postmarked and paying extra for priority shipping so it would get to the LA campus on time."

In what way did winning impact your life and career?

"The Scholarship was for a full year at FIDM, and since supplies are included in tuition, that was all free as well. It was about $30,000 in value that was included, so that definitely helped me and my mom out. I was able to focus 100 percent on school without stressing about the cost."

How did your project prepare you for the major that you studied?

"My FIDM Graphic Design experience really started with this project. I went through the same steps as I would have on my school projects – conceptualizing the design based on the information in the brief, sketching the concepts, executing and refining the best, printing and mounting, and finally explaining to the client (or the Scholarship committee) why the decisions I made were effective solutions to the design brief. The entire process encapsulated what future projects would be like, not only at school, but in the industry."

Any additional thoughts you have about the Scholarship?

"I remember being at FedEx, scrambling trying to get everything together last-minute, thinking, 'Wow, there is definitely no way they’re going to pick this project.' I didn’t think about it for months. September rolled around and I was at the cusp of wrapping up my summer after high school, when I got the call from my Admissions Advisor. 'Angelica. Guess what? You won the National Scholarship Competition!' Never before had I felt so validated that this was the path that I was meant to take. Now, every time I meet someone who is thinking of attending FIDM, I am incessant about getting them to join the competition. You never know what you’ll achieve if you don’t try."

Categories:  Graphic Design