CHATTANOOGA, TN -- One Chattanooga State Community College graduate is among the newest employees at a Chattanooga brewery thanks, in part, to a project she completed while studying graphic design at the College. 

Now a Creative Assistant at Oddstory Brewing Co. in Chattanooga, Kaitlyn Whalen said ChattState offered her a strong combination of robust instruction and creative freedom that both helped prepare her for a career as a professional graphic designer and land her the new position. 

Whalen arrived at ChattState as a nontraditional student, having taken several years off from higher education after completing a semester at both the college and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga after high school.  

When Whalen re-enrolled at ChattState, she was still undecided on a major. It wasn’t until she received an iPad for Christmas that she found her direction. 

“I really got into doodling and creating digital art on my iPad. That’s what turned me on to graphic design,” she said. “As I went through the program, there was never a time when I thought I had made the wrong choice. I literally just followed what felt right, and that led me to this.” 

Whalen was a regular customer at Oddstory before going back to college. While there, she met the brewery’s creative director and gained an appreciation for the art on the brewery’s labels. 

Inspired by science fiction and fantasy stories, Whalen went on to design cans for several imaginary beers: Spock Bock, Jar Jar Drinks, Fender Bender, Preppy PRED Porter (Predator), and Not So Shy Hulud (inspired by the Shai-Hulud sandworm creature from Dune). 

She said having conversations with brewery staff helped her understand the principles of can design and other key information like label dimensions, leading her to better execute her design project. What she did not realize, however, was that she was also marketing herself as a professional designer to industry insiders. 

“I never expected any of this to lead to a job,” she said. “I never even thought Oddstory would have a position like this.” 

Within a month of graduating from ChattState, Whalen received a call from the brewery’s creative director asking her to apply for the new creative assistant position. 

Honing Creative Skills at ChattState 

Graphic design professors at ChattState allowed Whalen the creative freedom to design what she wanted, ultimately allowing her to build her own bridge to her future career, she said. 

In addition to being allowed to explore her creativity, Whalen said receiving a well-rounded education—sometimes out of her comfort zone—helped prepare her for her career, both at the brewery and beyond. 

“I think the earlier semesters, where they teach you to do things like InDesign and other tools you don’t think you will ever use, really helped,” she said. “I am not just going to make beer cans in my career; I’m going to be building layouts and more. The earlier projects broadened my skills.” 

Creating Career-Ready Graduates 

Being a nontraditional adult student presents its challenges, and Whalen was not immune to the difficulties of working full-time while in school. While she began by only taking one or two classes a semester, a professor ultimately encouraged her to increase her course load and graduate sooner. 

That, coupled with financial aid from Tennessee Reconnect, allowed Whalen to graduate in three years with no debt. 

“Tennessee Reconnect was a big deciding factor in deciding to go back to school. It was a saving grace,” she said. “Tennessee Reconnect is probably the sole reason I graduated and took the plunge. I took it extra seriously because I knew this was my one chance—my one free chance.’” 

Graphic Design instructor Michael Largent said a graphic design education at ChattState aims to ensure graduates are ready to enter the workforce. 

"We don’t dwell on theory. We work on learning professional quality,” he said. “We stress not only design but also production. It’s the kind of work that gets people jobs.”