Where Are They Now? Featuring: Heather Outwater

We’re interviewing alumni who graduated from York College of Pennsylvania to see “where they are now.” Today’s interview is with Heather Outwater, a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, as a Graphic Design major, with an Art History and Fine Arts minor. She currently lives in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.

Tell us a little about yourself…

I graduated in May of 2017 with a Bachelors degree in Graphic Design with two minors: Art History and Fine Art. I live in the Poconos in PA up in the mountains, and I am a graphic designer. I also love lettering, spending time with loved ones, and watching Project Runway.

Did you intern anywhere senior year or after graduation?

I did not intern anywhere, but I did work for the art department at York as a gallery assistant during my senior year. I also did an independent study with the theater department in the spring of my junior year designing all of their print material for the plays.

What were your career goals throughout your college career?

My career goals were honestly to find a job that utilized all I’ve learned at York College. I suspected it would be hard because in the Poconos, everything is pretty spread out. It was important to stay motivated!

Where did you end up landing a job after graduation?

I found a job in July at a place called Sprint Print in Scranton, PA. They do primarily print material for different clients, but also have tons of promo items available. I got so lucky because working there, I utilize so many of the skills I learned in my major.

What was your involvement with The York Review?

In the fall of our senior year, my roommate Morgan Barnett (who was also a graphic design major) and I were asked by our other roommate at the time if we would come to one of The York Review classes and consider helping them revamp their logo and overall design. We agreed and although we had other classes and responsibilities to juggle, we said “what the heck” and worked with the team all semester on the publication’s new look.

Can you describe the inspiration and how the artwork came about for the cover of the 2017 York Review issue?

Morgan and I were brought on to redesign The York Review’s print layout, meaning how the text was laid out, how all of the elements were organized, and the overall feel the book had. Also, they wanted a new logo and online mark. Morgan and I decided to go with a handmade, lettered logo because of how much The York Review involves writing, art, and emotion. The cover artwork is actually one of Morgan’s prints. After we went through all of the submitted artwork, we were down to 3 or so pieces for the cover art. The class voted as a whole on which one they liked the most and the owl piece was chosen. In the end we were really proud of how the book came together and how we were able to work out all of the kinks with the class to create something really fresh and new!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

A fun fact about myself is that I’ve taken 8 classes of Spanish (High School and College), but unfortunately I wouldn’t say I’m fluent in it.

What is a a piece of advice you would give to current students?

A piece of advice I would give to current students is to go to some sports games! I’m not that into sports, but I went to a lot of the girls basketball games with my roommate who used to live with them and they’re so entertaining!