Where STEM Meets Graphic Design

The next time you're assembling a piece of furniture or snapping parts of a toy into place, take a moment to thank a drafter. These behind-the-scenes creators turn flat, technical drawings into vivid blueprints for the real world, showing us not just how things fit together, but what’s possible.

Tulsa Tech Drafting and Design graduate Jessica Hutton described the field: “This is where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math meet graphic design,” she said. “That is the best I can think of, because it’s a very visual field.”
In a discipline where every detail matters, Hutton has developed a sharp eye.

“For me it’s the geometry, the lines and the detailed precisions that makes drafting so fun, “she said.

After starting out in the retail industry and even opening her own business, she is now on her second career. Hutton credits her instructors for helping her feel confident in unfamiliar territory.

“Coming back to school in my late 30s wasn’t easy,” she admitted. “But it was about opening doors that had always been shut.” She praises Mr. Turner for laying the groundwork in her first year, teaching the standards and fundamentals before diving into CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting). By her second year, Mr. Doering helped deepen that knowledge.

“I needed to learn everything and they took me from the ground level all the way to where I am now,” she said.

That consistent growth propelled Hutton into a role as a structural drafter at Wallace Design Collective in Tulsa.

“Just like Tulsa Tech prepared me. I now make sure that every structure I work on is sound checking girders, columns,” she said.

While recent trends show Generation Alpha is increasingly drawn to skilled trades, Millennials like Hutton grew up hearing a different message. “When I was younger, we were all told that college gives you so many more opportunities,” Hutton said.

After getting the training, building the skills, and earning a new job to support herself, Hutton has simple advice for anyone looking to reskill or young adults considering career training.

“Take advantage of what is available to you, you might not find your forever career, but you will always have a skill you can lean on to help you succeed,” she said with a smile.

If you are looking to get a skill that you can turn into a career Tulsa Tech has more than 80 full-time career training options and thousands of part-time options to help you Make Your Own Path.