“When an employer comes to us and wants to add a designer to their staff, we do a really good job of helping them to find a candidate that will work well in their culture. And because we know our students and grads so well, we do that in a really efficient way,” she said.
Credit: Jen Balduf
Credit: Jen Balduf
Just last month, The Modern was named one of the top graphic design schools or programs for 2025 by Graphic Design USA. It marked the 14th consecutive year the college has earned the designation.
Over the last decade, enrollment for the design college founded in 1983 has grown by 25%, said Justin Morter, director of marketing and an instructor for The Modern.
The college attributes this in part to the launch five years ago of the bachelor of arts degree in design leadership, in addition to associate degree options in graphic design, user experience design and the recently added motion graphics and video design program.
Classes are available on campus, online or in a hybrid form, Barry said, and all are approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Credit: Jen Balduf
Credit: Jen Balduf
It was time for the 90-member Class of 2025 to shine Friday during the “Reveal” event at the school at 1725 E. David Road, a tradition that began in 1986 to showcase emerging design talent.
The grads put their digital portfolios on display for potential employers and community members ahead of their Sunday commencement. They showcased their work in branding, user experience design, motion graphics, video, illustration and more.
“When you become a graphics designer, one of the most important things you need when you graduate is a portfolio,” Barry said.
Mariya Dydyk was among grads whose work was on display. She earned a bachelor’s degree in design leadership and graduated with honors and as one of the class valedictorians.
Credit: Jen Balduf
Credit: Jen Balduf
She immigrated with her family in 2016 from the Ukraine to the U.S., settling in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. The move to a new environment with a different culture was a big transition for the eighth-grader, who spoke no English.
One constant was creativity for the girl who enjoyed drawing and painting.
“I always had a passion for art, but I was always told that art is, you know, you can’t really make money out of art,” she said.
In high school she had the opportunity to learn how to use graphic design software.
“I fell in love with it and decided to join The Modern. They came to recruit students and I fell in love with the school,” Dydyk said.
Her digital portfolio included her award-winning rebranding of her American home city of Strongsville. Among other projects, she designed the logo for Sky Asian Cuisine restaurant at 4090 Wilmington Pike in Kettering.
Credit: Jen Balduf
Credit: Jen Balduf
“All of these students have been working in the Miami Valley region as interns for the last month, and so some of them actually received offers before the event, and then many of them will receive offers from connections that they’re making here (at the Reveal event),” Barry said.
Dydyk has already landed a job with Cleveland marketing agency VividFront as a production designer.
Credit: Jen Balduf
Credit: Jen Balduf
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