Invited to present at conferences in Kansas and Washington D.C., Madeline Paradis, senior at Salina Central High School (CHS), will be sharing the graphic design skills she loves and at which she excels.

Madeline’s work with Adobe Illustrator and InDesign was recently featured in the Journalism Education Association magazine. When the editor learned Madeline would be in Washington D.C. for the fall convention she was invited to present a hands-on graphic design experience for her peers and adults.

On Wednesday, at Kansas State University, Madeline presented a design session for the Kansas Scholastic Press Association Fall Conference. She’s sharing tips and tricks sure to enhance graphics and visual storytelling.

“For me, design is all about experimenting and presenting information in a way that is appealing to its audience,” shared Madeline. She finds inspiration in her daily life and through other award-winning student publications.

Now a senior at CHS, she reflected on the influence of her teacher, J.D. Garber. “Over the past three years my design skills have grown through practice and the guidance of Mr. Garber. I’ve designed theatre production backdrops along with shirts and posters for school events which has given me extra practice outside of classwork.” After she graduates she plans to attend college to study graphic design with a focus on sustainability.

J.D. Garber says, “Madeline has become a national award-winning graphic designer through her hard work with Adobe software and attention to the latest design trends.” Her work has been recognized for being appealing to the eye while also informative. He added, “Having this balance as a student journalist and storyteller is rare.”

When asked what advice she would offer younger students her response was immediate. “Explore everything you can until you find what you’re passionate about. Try out every avenue of it to figure out what works best for you then invest everything you have into it.”

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Photo courtesy USD 305