Web Design Amazing Alumni
By Leah Antovel, marketing and social media assistant at UF CJC Online
July 15, 2020
Alumni of UF CJC Online’s Master of Art in Mass Communication with a specialization in Web Design and Online Communication have taken what they’ve learned and the experiences they’ve had during their time as online graduate students into their varied careers in communications.
Aliyah Northington
Aliyah Northington, a self-proclaimed military brat who grew up in Okinawa, Japan, and currently lives in Madison, Alabama, received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Alabama. She then graduated from UF CJC Online in 2019 with a specialization in Web Design and Online Communication.
“I chose to attend UF because it was the only program that seemed perfect for me,” Aliyah said.
Aliyah currently works as a government contractor for SAIC at the Army Game Studio on Redstone Arsenal.
During her time as a Gator, her proudest achievement was being able to manage a full course load to graduate in two years while working as a full-time contractor at NASA. Additionally, she was able to graduate with a 4.0 GPA.
Her favorite thing about UF? The people she met. One of Aliyah’s current colleagues teaches for and graduated from the program. She also made life-long friends, some of which she still talks to on a weekly basis.
“My experience in the program got me my first developer job as a Javascript web developer. Without the program, there’s no way I would’ve gotten this job with my bachelor’s because I didn’t learn all the necessary skills that I now have,” she said. “Overall, UF gave me more than just my fantastic degree. It gave me my Gator family.”
Leanna Lash
Leanna Lash grew up in Tampa, Florida, and completed her undergraduate degree at UF. She then became a double Gator by continuing her education with UF CJC Online. She received a certificate in the program in 2018 and loved it so much that she came back to complete her master’s in Web Design and Online Communication.
“One of my highlights during my time in the UF CJC Online program was the faculty. They truly care about their students and go above and beyond to make them experts in the field,” Leanna said. “They truly care about students achieving their goals and setting them up with the tools to get there.”
Currently, Leanna works for Bayside Community Church as their director of graphic design and multimedia. In this position, she’s in charge of creating their graphics, creating/editing videos, taking photos, creating campaigns, managing the brand and maintaining the website. She commends her online education for preparing her for her current role.
“My favorite class was Digital Imagery in Web Design because it honed my Photoshop skill and taught me how to make a digital campaign,” she said. “Both of those skills I use at my job every day!”
Courtney Hancock
Courtney Hancock grew up close to UF’s campus in Ocala, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree from UF, and like Leanna, she continued her education with the university and graduated from UF CJC Online in 2019, specializing in Web Design and Online Communication.
“I chose to attend UF because it was my dream school,” Courtney said. “After completing my bachelor’s degree at UF, I knew I didn’t want to get a second degree anywhere else. Being a double gator is an amazing honor!”
One of Courtney’s proudest accomplishments while completing her degree was, surprisingly, in one of the first classes she took in the program.
“We were learning InDesign, and I made a cookbook with all of my mom’s old recipes,” she said. “It was the first time I saw how I could apply what we were learning to the real world.”
She is also proud that the website she coded and the logo and branding she revamped was selected by a real client and is still being used today.
Currently, in true Gator fashion, Courtney is a web developer at the University of Florida Office of Professional and Workplace Development. She can’t imagine her professional life without the skills she learned in the program and the network she was able to grow.
“I use UI/UX design, research, coding, copywriting and project management every day as a Web Developer for UF,” Courtney said. “The Adobe Suite skills I learned throughout the program not only guide my web design, but also other graphic design pieces for my office.”
Overall, her favorite thing about UF is the sense of family you feel as part of the Gator Nation no matter where you are.
“Gators are everywhere and I am proud to be a part of it!” she said.
If you’d like to learn more about pursuing a degree with UF CJC Online, please visit our website at https://onlinemasters.jou.ufl.edu/ and follow us on social @UFCJConline
Posted: July 15, 2020
Category: Student Spotlight, Student Success, Student Work, UF CJC Online Blog
