Julie Nagan ‘09
Maple Grove, Minnesota
Core connection: Designed cover for The Reflective Woman
Path to St. Kate’s: Julie grew up in the Twin Cities. Applying to St. Kate's seemed like a natural thing to do. “It wasn’t a hard decision. I love the campus.”
Major: Journalism with a concentration in advertising
Influential instructors: “Professor Pamela Fletcher and David Weiss completely changed my life. I took "Contemporary Black Fiction" with Professor Fletcher – one of the hardest classes I’ve taken in my entire life. I took "Stages of Christian Life" from David. That’s the best class I’ve taken.”
Campus activities: Cross-country team, Clay Club, layout designer for The Wheel (student newspaper), graphic designer for the Student Center and Activities office
On taking "The Reflective Woman:" “I've always been interested in how I identify myself and how others identify themselves. It’s a valid thing to explore when you first enter an institution of higher learning. I thought it was worthwhile – like a jumping-off point.”
Inspiration for new book cover: Julie designed the TRW book cover as part of a graphic design class. The task was to design a cover that took into mind the course content as well as the student. “I like the idea of using a silhouette – there’s no face to the person. That worked really well for TRW because the whole idea behind the class is you’re trying to find your identity. I wanted the colors to be bold, fun, fresh, reflective of what a young person’s life is when they enter college. They’re full of this new, untapped energy.”
An early start: “I’ve always been interested in design, though I didn’t go [to St. Kate’s] for design. It was the publication design class when I realized that this is what I want to do. It was my first time with Pat Olson as a professor. She inspired me to have more than just an interest in design.”
Words to incoming students: “Make sure you have fun. That’s the most important thing. Take big risks, explore the city, do things that you never thought you would. Scare yourself – it’s okay. Make sure to take a lot of time for yourself and attempt to live a balanced life at some point.”
