Visual Graphic Design Student Megan Lewis Paves Her Path to Success at Tulsa Tech

What started by using a photo collage app on her phone to create a logo over 13 years ago has turned into a career for Visual Graphic Design student Megan Lewis.

“I made my first logo and then it snowballed from there,” Lewis said. “My friends and family started asking me to design logos and flyers, but it wasn’t until I started college that I chose to pursue a career in graphic design.”

Lewis attended school in California for a few years before her family moved to Tulsa. When she decided to go back to school, a quick Google search brought her to Tulsa Tech and two years later her life has been changed forever.

“The encouragement I have received from my instructors has shown me that I can design,” Lewis said. “Mrs. Shelly Asche really encouraged me to use my skill and pushed me to participate in Skills USA, and Mr. Tim Lange has really good feedback, has an eye for design and can see things I miss, which is very helpful.”

After encouragement from Mrs. Asche, not only did Lewis compete in the state SkillsUSA competition, but she finished in first place both years, won the nationals SkillsUSA competition in 2023 and is looking to repeat at nationals this June.

Lewis also recently won the Student Portfolio Contest at The Art Directors Club of Tulsa’s (ADCT) 55th Graphex Award Ceremony. ADCT is a non-profit organization dedicated to the legacy of encouragement, cultivation and inspiration for local advertising and art communities. The award also came with a $1,000 scholarship she can use to help further her career.

“Megan is very talented and is a pleasure to have in class,” Visual Graphic Design Instructor Tim Lange said. “She has a great attitude and is always willing to share her design knowledge with other students. Megan has incredible abilities for someone as young as she is, and to be so young and so talented is highly unusual.”

One of the things Lewis likes about her class is that at the end of each project they present their work to the class, and they critique each other, which helps them improve and make things better moving forward.

“Having the ability to take feedback and criticism without letting it negatively affect you is important because it is how you will improve as an artist and designer. If you are stuck in the mindset that your work is fine, then you will not get better,” said Lewis.

Lewis started freelancing for Labor Division, a company she became familiar with during Tulsa Tech’s mock interviews last year, and will begin an internship with them this summer. In fact, if you’ve traveled through Tulsa International Airport you might have seen her work for the Discovery Lab advertisements located there, and some of her designs have also been published in magazines.

“Tulsa Tech has given me my own sense of style within design and has helped me feel more creative as a person,” Lewis said.

After Lewis completes her internship, she’d like to continue freelance work, which would allow her to work from anywhere, as well as work for a non-profit organization to help add value and purpose to her designs.

No matter where her career takes her, Tulsa Tech has given Lewis the tools she needs to make her own path.