FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STUDENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT - December 2007

Jessica McElwee

Graphic Imaging Technology

Jessica McElwee of Danville has lots of talents and she’s putting some of them to use as she pursues a Diploma in Graphic Imaging Technology at Danville Community College. The 2007 Dan River High School (DRHS) graduate says a “chance” part-time job at a local printing company spurred her interest in the graphic imaging/printing field.

“I had taken a desktop publishing class in high school. Then, I had the opportunity to work part-time in a print shop after a friend’s mother told me about a job,” McElwee says explaining how she began working at McCain Printing in Danville. “I did some research about it (printing) and found this is something I’d like to do.”

With a head start in the printing/graphic imaging industry, McElwee says after graduation from DRHS, she chose to enroll at DCC.

“It’s about money. I realize that I have to have some education in order to advance,” McElwee adds. “You can’t make a lot of money without the additional higher education.”

McElwee is looking forward to her career in graphic imaging. After she completes her DCC studies, she hopes to stay in the area by working in the design, bindery, or press operations at a printing company or sign shop in Danville, Martinsville, Lynchburg or Greensboro, NC.

“I would like to be able to stay in this area,” she says. “There are lots of printing companies in these areas. So that’s a real possibility.”

Although she says the printing industry typically is a male-dominated field – at least in this area, she is not at all concerned about the disproportionate number of females in the industry. She explains she is one of only two female students in the first-year graphic imaging technology program at DCC, but one of her program instructors, Sheila Wright, is a female. On her job, she is one of four women. McElwee thinks, in many cases, females, particularly younger females, are not aware of the many options available to them in the industry. In fact, printing is the sixth largest employer in Virginia with more than 21,000 employees.

“There have been lots of changes in the industry,” McElwee explains. “It’s not as hard as people make it out to be. A lot of girls don’t realize that this is something they can do. There are so many different areas to work in and it’s not all press work.”

The daughter of Vicky and Robert McElwee II, she says it was not a difficult decision to choose DCC. Admittedly, she is the first in her immediate family to go to college, so she relied upon the opinions of others, such as her coworkers, friends and relatives.

“They all talked highly about DCC,” she says. “It’s not a huge place, which is what I wanted. You have one on one with the teachers, and you can focus on individualized attention here. Also, financially, it was the best decision.”

In addition to her interests and skills in graphic imaging, McElwee is an accomplished musician, and plays a variety of instruments such as piano, guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, and drums. She also is a vocalist and admits she had been self taught on all of these instruments.

“I play for enjoyment,” says McElwee who notes she frequently plays the guitar at her church, Freedom Baptist Church. “I can’t read music, but I can play by ear after I have heard something.

“Playing the drums is my favorite because it helps relieve stress,” she adds. “I can play all kinds of music.”

But that’s not all. While at Dan River High, McElwee also played girls basketball and softball. However, now she has very little room in her schedule for these sports, and concentrates mainly on her studies and career.

“There is a great satisfaction seeing something that you helped create when it’s completed,” McElwee says. “It’s weird. It’s really cool.”

For more information about the graphic imaging technology program, please contact the instructors, Sheila Wright, Professor of Graphic Imaging Technology, at 434.797.8433, or Mike Giles, Associate Professor of Graphic Imaging Technology, at 434.797.8559, or click here.