Donnell McKenzie

As a securities analyst, Donnell McKenzie bottled up her creative energies. "The most creative I got was organizing charts in Excel," she said. A practical single mom, she gave thanks for work. But last year, McKenzie freed her creative genie. Poof! She became a full-time graphic design student at TCC's Northwest Campus.

Earning her way with freelance work, McKenzie said she's fascinated with "how a single image can communicate a message, convey a feeling, educate and inform the viewer, all within the span of seconds." 

McKenzie's aim is to become either an art director or creative director in ministry - work that will combine her faith with strengths for analysis and design. "In the design world, every project is a new challenge," she said.

"I've always dabbled in graphic design in my off time," she said. "The real catalyst, however, was volunteering my design talent for the church. Once I saw how fulfilling it was to do something I was good at to promote something I believed in, I knew I would never be happy until I pursued it." 

McKenzie looks forward to graduating in December with an Associate of Arts degree. She plans to earn a bachelor's degree in Communication Design from the University of North Texas. 

"As a single mother, getting an education has been difficult," McKenzie said. But she thanks her daughter and her parents, both of whom are TCC alums, for encouraging her. "TCC has allowed me to pursue an education close to home, convenient to my schedule and affordable. I'm getting a quality education for a fraction of the cost" - advantages that are by design at TCC. 

- By David House