When Emily Joynton ’17 (Illustration Practice M.F.A.) first came to MICA, she had a hard time visualizing how to turn her illustration skills into a profession. “Being in this program at MICA really helped me see illustration as something that can be a career,” she explained. “I have a full-time job with a textile design company — and there are so many things that are within reach through the connections I’ve made or just through my being more confident in my work. The faculty here and my peers really helped with that.”

The San Angelo, Texas native, who recently landed a position as junior designer at Printfresh in Philadelphia, used her time at MICA well. She is the recipient of a Graduate Research Fellowship Grant, was nominated for the MICA Leadership Award and is a recipient of the Alumni Award for Student Leadership. Her work was also included in Ellen Lupton’s forthcoming book, Design Is Storytelling, published by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Emily, whose work also includes stationery design and comics, was drawn to MICA because of the reputation of the Illustration Practice program director, Whitney Sherman, and because she loved the work that Illustration Alumni were producing in the real world.

“I really like that the Illustration Practice program emphasizes exploration. Whitney was amazing and very encouraging, and Kimberly Ellen Hall, the first year faculty member in the program, gave me a new perspective and really pushed me in new directions,” Joynton said.