It seems living a dream is not just a dream for former WCHS graduate Kerry Esmon. Kerry was like many high school students who are undecided about which career path to choose. Upon graduating high school, he enrolled at Rend Lake Community College. Still unsure of what he wanted to do, Kerry was soon offered a scholarship for journalism, band, and scholar bowl. Having participated in all three of these clubs at WCHS, Kerry was reminded of how much he loved them. He recalled his days on the WCHS yearbook staff and how he especially loved not only writing, but the layout and design that comes with journalism. While chipping away at his required classes, Kerry wrote for the Rend Lake Times, which sparked a new interest in mass communication and marketing. This is what finally helped lead him to major in graphic design nearly two years into his college career.

Kerry graduated from RLC with an Associate’s of Arts degree. However, this wasn’t obtained without discouragement along the way. Kerry recalls one of his professors suggesting that, “art might not be a good direction” for him. As discouraging as it sounded, Kerry knew this was a passion that he wanted to pursue. Kerry advises, “You can’t let people discourage you.”

Kerry continued his education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he completed his Bachelors degree in Fine Arts with a major in Communication Design and a minor in Art History. With this degree, Kerry has worked as a multidisciplinary graphic designer for the past eight years. Of those years, five have been spent as lead UX/UI (user experience/user interface) designer for Five Pack Creative, a mobile app development company based in Frisco, TX. Kerry’s day-to-day responsibilities include designing products such as iOS, Android, and Web apps for a variety of clients.

Kerry believes that identifying and pursuing your passion is key in finding your right career path. However, he advises to, “Find what you’re passionate about and then find a real-world application for it.”