Aaron Johnson Reflects on Time at Bowie State

Graduating Senior Found Room to Pivot Focus on Road to Disney Opportunity

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Saxon, jsaxon@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-3607

(BOWIE, Md.) – When Aaron Johnson was applying for college, he looked at a range of art schools but found huge financial barriers. As he prepares to graduate from Bowie State University with a degree in visual communications and digital media arts, he’s on the pathway to a career in creative marketing design with Disney +.  

“It was no way I was going to afford going to those art schools,” said Johnson. “I was like ‘I have to find somewhere to go.’  I found Bowie State had an animation program.  And sure enough, I got in.” 

What started as a detour became the road Johnson needed to travel to discover his potential. 

While he originally focused on animation, Johnson soon realized that he needed to make another pivot as he worked out his career path. Johnson’s course work in the VCDMA program presented him with another option: advertising design. 

“I got into this online program called Breaking Media, and I learned about marketing,” said Johnson. “I was enjoying learning about it and realized marketing is pretty cool. That led me to graphics and advertising design. Once I tried it out, I never went back.” 

After Johnson plotted his new career path, he capitalized on a partnership between Bowie State and HBCU LA, a recruiting initiative that places underrepresented students in internships with major studios, networks, talent agencies, and other global creative industry organizations. Johnson started working at NBCUniversal as an entertainment print design intern in the summer of 2023 and continued throughout the academic year. He leveraged that opportunity to land a marketing and graphic design internship with the Disney + Creative team once he crosses the commencement stage. 

“I’m really excited for that,” said Johnson. “After that, I have two options. Come back to Maryland and work, or potentially get a full-time offer and work at Disney. We’ll see what happens.” 

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