College: College for Creative Studies Graduate
Degree Earned: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a focus on entertainment
Dez’s journey with Girls Group began at Skyline High School in 2014 after a school counselor encouraged her to try it out. She was quiet, reserved, and had a deep passion for art. “Girls Group staff took time to get to know me and learned that I was interested in art,” she shared. “From there I was able to go to the Art Institute and I learned about Illustration and decided that would be my career path. I was introduced to The College for Creative Studies by a Girls Group staff member which introduced me to my current school. I also received help making my portfolio with Girls Group.”
Fast forward to 2022, Dez now has a Bachelor’s in Fine Art from the College for Creative Studies. She specializes in illustration, character development & design and entertainment and she is currently commissioned to work on a children’s book.
Dez’s success doesn’t stop there. Over the past few months, Dez has attended the 2022 Ann Arbor Art Fair where she sold prints and stickers of her work and sold out twice! Additionally, as a scholarship recipient, Dez was also provided with a booth to showcase her work at an Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) event recently.
Dez continues to thrive as an up-and-coming artist and build her network. “As a former foster child, I found the stories in movies, TV shows, and games to really help me through the different and unique circumstances I found myself in growing up. I often felt like an outcast and different. Stories became important to me through the artwork, characters, and world in the media I consumed. I learned that through this art form, I can inspire and heal people just as I was.” She currently teaches as a digital art teacher, does freelance work as a children’s book illustrator and is even working on developing her own comic series. Dez says that in her free time she likes to hang out with friends, play video games, and longboard. Feel free to view her art portfolio linked here!