Success Stories
Kyle Roe
Graphic Designer, Signs by Tomorrow, Midwest City, OK
Education
Graphic Arts Program
Autry Technology Center, 2002
Bachelors of Fine Arts, Studio Art
Oklahoma State University, 2009
Get to Know Kyle
Kyle Roe attended Autry Technology Center during his junior and senior years of high school. He chose to spend part of his day away from his high school campus because he was interested in the graphic arts program, was impressed with the facilities at Autry and wanted to learn the technical skills.
“Autry helped me prepare for college by being very project/process oriented,” he explains. “Since I was an art major I needed the basic skills for starting and completing a project. Ms. Licklider provided excellent assignments that have proven very applicable not only in college but in the ‘real world.’ Everything from deadlines, to visiting with clients/customers and the creative process of design from start to finish.”
While he has many fond memories of Autry, he remembers his favorite thing being the people he met. “I met a lot of really cool people in all different disciplines at Autry, from welding, to culinary arts, to nursing. I would have never known most of them if we didn’t attend Autry together.”
Besides the class work he did in graphic arts, he was active in the student organization SkillsUSA and the student ambassador program, part of the state champion quiz bowl team and also served as a district officer for SkillsUSA.
Roe is pleased to have a job he enjoys. As the head graphic designer for Signs By Tomorrow in Midwest City, OK, he puts many of the skills he first learned at Autry to use on a daily basis. “We design, produce, and install signs, custom stickers, and vehicle wraps. We also do custom logo design, trade show booths/graphics, and banners. We are an advertising agency that can actually produce what we design,” he says.
He also does freelance graphic design and screen printing and would love to someday own his own successful business.
“The thing I like best is the freedom of creativity I have at work. Also, getting to see something you’ve designed actually produced into a product or driving down the road is a pretty cool feeling. I don’t have a job I dislike going to everyday, and that is the biggest thing for me,” he explains.
For anyone interesting in working in the graphic design field, Roe says it is important to work hard and have fun. He is pleased he was able to get a head start on his career by taking classes at Autry. He points out how important experience and a strong portfolio are for a successful graphic designer, but having a love of what you do is vital as well.
When Roe is not working as a graphic designer, he finds time for other passions like sculpting, snowboarding and Jeeping. He and his wife, Stephanie, are proud parents to two Springer spaniels who play Frisbee.
If you or someone you know attended Autry or CareerTech and would like to share your story, please contact Autry. Email Autry.
Success Stories
Kyle Roe
Graphic Designer, Signs by Tomorrow, Midwest City, OK
Education
Graphic Arts Program
Autry Technology Center, 2002
Bachelors of Fine Arts, Studio Art
Oklahoma State University, 2009
Get to Know Kyle
Kyle Roe attended Autry Technology Center during his junior and senior years of high school. He chose to spend part of his day away from his high school campus because he was interested in the graphic arts program, was impressed with the facilities at Autry and wanted to learn the technical skills.
“Autry helped me prepare for college by being very project/process oriented,” he explains. “Since I was an art major I needed the basic skills for starting and completing a project. Ms. Licklider provided excellent assignments that have proven very applicable not only in college but in the ‘real world.’ Everything from deadlines, to visiting with clients/customers and the creative process of design from start to finish.”
While he has many fond memories of Autry, he remembers his favorite thing being the people he met. “I met a lot of really cool people in all different disciplines at Autry, from welding, to culinary arts, to nursing. I would have never known most of them if we didn’t attend Autry together.”
Besides the class work he did in graphic arts, he was active in the student organization SkillsUSA and the student ambassador program, part of the state champion quiz bowl team and also served as a district officer for SkillsUSA.
Roe is pleased to have a job he enjoys. As the head graphic designer for Signs By Tomorrow in Midwest City, OK, he puts many of the skills he first learned at Autry to use on a daily basis. “We design, produce, and install signs, custom stickers, and vehicle wraps. We also do custom logo design, trade show booths/graphics, and banners. We are an advertising agency that can actually produce what we design,” he says.
He also does freelance graphic design and screen printing and would love to someday own his own successful business.
“The thing I like best is the freedom of creativity I have at work. Also, getting to see something you’ve designed actually produced into a product or driving down the road is a pretty cool feeling. I don’t have a job I dislike going to everyday, and that is the biggest thing for me,” he explains.
For anyone interesting in working in the graphic design field, Roe says it is important to work hard and have fun. He is pleased he was able to get a head start on his career by taking classes at Autry. He points out how important experience and a strong portfolio are for a successful graphic designer, but having a love of what you do is vital as well.
When Roe is not working as a graphic designer, he finds time for other passions like sculpting, snowboarding and Jeeping. He and his wife, Stephanie, are proud parents to two Springer spaniels who play Frisbee.
If you or someone you know attended Autry or CareerTech and would like to share your story, please contact Autry. Email Autry.