Franshawn was a fantastic Podium student who graduated from Huguenot High School in 2012 - let her tell you a bit about her experience with empowering her expression!
“Before Podium, I wasn't in any extracurricular activities because I was really shy and would rather just go home to draw. An English teacher of an enrichment class I was taking practically dragged me into being involved with Podium and I really appreciated it because I learned a lot about book design and editing, and made a few friends I wouldn't have otherwise.
I was on the design team for the first Podium journal and it was very exciting. We got to spend a lot of time at the Visual Arts Center [https://www.visarts.org/], where I had been meaning to go to for a while before then. It sparked my interest in layout design, and now I want to work on creating a children's book. It's not something I've done yet, but it is a goal I'm working towards.
Podium helped me realize and work toward my future goals. Since graduation, I've been working part-time as a freelance illustrator and working towards a degree in Early Childhood Education as well as helping out my mom, who is disabled. I attend J. Sargent Reynolds with plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University.”
Congratulations Franshawn on discovering your dreams! We are so happy Podium had a step in the process.
Love,
The Podium Team