In TAJE President Alyssa Boehringer's words: design is a whole lot of CRAP.(contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity). The first thing eyeballs notice on a publication its CRAP, making it just as important as the rest of the crap on the page. Design is the platter content sits on.

Working on the yearbook In summer, 2025, my advisor, website editor-in-chief and I were the staff members to show up. At that point, I was completely uneducated in designing, but that would change. With a staff total of two people, I took on the job. When I couldn’t access the school, I downloaded the yearbook to my laptop and would work anything I could from sunrise to sunset. I doubt any other yearbook designer can say they laid a spread while waiting for their summer swim team race, dressed in a speedo, swim cap and goggles. Even though I was thrown into the waters, that raw trial-and-error experience I had designing set a foundation for the next year.

Recognition: 2026 NSPA Pacemaker finalist; 2026 CSPA crown recipient; 2025 TAJE 9th best of show, Fall Fiesta

My advisor walked over to my desk and plopped down a book titled, “The Non-Designer’s Design Book.” Without context, he said I’d be competing in the infographic design contest at this year’s TAJE Fall Fiesta. My heart went to my toes – the convention was a week away and it had to be complete before then. That book became my best friend; I stuffed my face in it every single class, bus ride and afternoon I had. After five days and two mental breakdowns, I finished the infographic. Before I even submitted I thought it was over – now imagine my face when I got an honorable mention for that design. While I hoped for a higher award, that competition ignited a designing passion in me.

Recognition: 2025 TAJE honorable mention, Fall Fiesta

All the pieces finally started to fall in place, both on the page and in my mind. After almost a year of studying, and more often, struggling with designing, I finally felt like I got a grip with the 2025-2026 yearbook. In between dozens of interviews, copy editing and managing, designing spreads became vacations. To me, designing is just a puzzle whose difficulty increases the more out-of-the-box a designer wants the page to be. Luckily, I love puzzles. Over Christmas break I finalized my designs, and for the first time, felt satisfied with my effort.