Originally published on July 19, 2016.
A paint brush has always felt natural in Daniel Gill’s hand. With supportive parents at his side, Daniel knew that a creative career was in his future.
“By the time I was in high school applying for college admission, I already had my heart set on graphic design,” said Daniel. “I suppose I was always headed down the road to a creative career, and graphic design met me along the way.”
At SUU, Daniel was immersed in the theory and practice of art and design.
“I was surrounded by others with that same passion and it created an environment to incubate creative thinking,” Daniel said. “The initial venture into my field was made smooth because my skills were cultivated in an environment of both practical and theoretical approaches to design. The passion of the teachers and their guidance is still with me today.”
Soon after graduation, Daniel accepted an internship at Esri, a software company in southern California. During his internship he was offered a full-time designer and illustrator position. His responsibilities include illustration work for technical and editorial pieces, icon design, print and layout design, motion graphics and animation, apparel and promotional item design, tradeshow and conference booth graphics, digital signage, front-end web graphics, and presentation design for sales and keynote talks.
Reflecting back on his years at SUU, Daniel said, “I learned that I could exceed even my own expectations if I was willing to really work at something. I also learned that you can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you react to it, and that makes all the difference.”
Daniel continues to conduct freelance design alongside his work at Esri.
Daniel graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. Learn more about the program.
