Jacob Bushey ’19 developed a passion for photography and graphic design as the editor-in-chief of his high school yearbook in Oviedo, Fla. In 2016, he came to Berry ready to pursue a creative career. He thrived in both areas, gaining real-world experience through the LifeWorks program, which led to corporate internships and a rewarding position in graphic design.
In his first semester, Bushey reached out to Berry’s Office of Marketing and Communications, looking for a job suited to his visual communication major. Offered the position of student marketing photographer, he shot countless Berry events, coordinated photo shoots with Berry College personnel, led a team of other student photographers and even supplied photographs to external news outlets in Rome.
Meaghan Marr, a graphic designer with Berry’s Creative Services Department, recognized Bushey’s talent for graphic design and offered him a spot on her team. From August 2017 to graduation, he split his student work between photography and graphic design.
Bushey worked on small- and large-scale projects — from postcards and brochures to T-shirts and web design — and got hands-on experience in corporate branding during Berry’s 2018 rebranding. During this time, he found a mentor in Marr. “Meaghan pushed me to try new things and expand my design capabilities,” Bushey says. “She even gave me opportunities to work on projects that were sent out to thousands of people through admissions and advancement.”
Beyond Berry, Bushey applied his talents in the commercial world. During 2019, he interned as the product photographer and point-of-purchase designer at the Rome, Ga., location of the Balta Group, a Belgian textile company producing area rugs. His photos and in-store product displays were used by companies such as Target, Wayfair, The Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond. In the summer of 2019, Bushey added to his skill set as a development design intern for the Jeff Morrical Studio in Los Angeles, where he contributed to the creation of architectural drawings and design of residential and commercial interiors.
Fully equipped to enter the workforce, Bushey landed a job as the graphic designer for Brentwood United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., where he creates graphic and branding material distributed to a congregation of over 10,000. “I think that my work experience at Berry was the biggest thing that helped me prepare for a future in creative roles,” he notes. Bushey looks forward to a multi-faceted career, saying that he would like to be a creative director or hold a similar position managing multiple areas of design and content creation.
Marr envisions a bright future for her department’s former student employee: “Jacob’s positive attitude and fantastic work ethic will, no doubt, take him far. That, coupled with his creativity and desire to learn more and grow, will keep him busy.”
Senior Hannah-Grace Mann
