Meridian Community College: MCC'er Tamar Mosley Wins Graphic Design Contest

Press release from Meridian Community College:

November 18, 2021

Taking a look around her backyard, Tamar Mosley came upon a winning idea.

“I have a bunch of pine trees; there are pinecones everywhere,” she said as she explained
what sparked her design for an emerging local business. Those conifers and their fruit
led Mosley to create The Back Porch of Meridian’s branding element.

It’s the first winning design for this first-semester student in the College’s Graphic
Design Technology Program.

Mosley works full-time by day as the HSE coordinator for adult education at MCC. In
the evening, she studies and creates in this career and technical education program
that trains students in print and media design or virtual and augmented reality design.

“I’ve been wanting to go into the program for years,” she said, “but nothing was offered
online then.” Some traditional, in-the-classroom teaching methods were restructured
when the pandemic began, and classes were offered digitally, off-campus. “That opened
the door for me because I work here at MCC full time, so I can’t attend classes in
the daytime.” So, during the day, she’s on the job at MCC; in her off time, when she’s
at home, she’s working on graphic design.

“In her first semester, she’s already doing amazing work; she’s an asset to the program,”
said Daniel Ethridge, MCC program coordinator and instructor for Graphic Design Technology.

Justin Hardy, the owner of Rock House Gun and Pawn, plans to open his new company,
The Back Porch of Meridian, in the first quarter of 2022.

“Basically, it’s a back porch store,” Hardy said in explaining his new business. “Anything
you would do on a back porch … it’s going to have a large grilling line, a large food
line, woodworking.”

Hardy wanted a brand that would capture the idea of his new enterprise. In talking
to one of his employees, also a Graphic Design Technology student at MCC, the idea
of getting students in the program to create a logo emerged, and a competition with
a cash award was suggested. “I gave Mr. Ethridge an idea of what my new company would
be, what it was going to stand for, what it was going to sell, the brand I was to
project,” Hardy said.

The students got to work, and Hardy was presented with 20 designs from which to choose.
“Every one of them was a very good option.” Specifically, it was Mosely’s entry that
came to the top. “For me, seeing the pinecone – something in the back yard – just
clicked for me. It’s recognizable; it’s easily branded. I could put that design on
anything,” he said.

Mosley was excited and humbled to learn she was the winner, and she’s eager to continue
her learning in the graphic design arena.

This press release was produced by Meridian Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.