2023-24 Alum of the Year - Jenna James

ACC Alum of the Year - Jenna James
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    Jeff
    Duggan
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Meet Jenna

Jenna James, a 2010 graduate of ACC (AAS degree in Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration), has been selected by the ACC Foundation and the ACC Alumni Network as 2023-24 Alum of the Year in recognition of her work ethic, talent, and ability to adapt and hybridize disciplines to find a unique skill set.

More about Jenna

A native of Centennial, Jenna is a graduate of Arapahoe High School. She is currently the Digital Marketing and Web Manager at the University of Denver. Her duties include developing and maintaining the website, managing digital campaigns and relations with vendors, preparing data reports, and producing, distributing and updating visual marketing assets.

Jenna earned her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Multimedia, Graphic Design & Illustration at ACC in 2010. While at ACC, she served as the lead graphic designer for the 2009 edition of Progenitor, ACC’s annual art & literary magazine. Jenna, who also served as a photo lab assistant, graduated from ACC with a 3.8 cumulative GPA.

Jenna at ACC and Beyond

Jenna earned Honorable Mention recognition in the 2010 ACC Student Art Show for her submission entitled 'Radiohead.' The piece was a magazine layout featuring the band Radiohead. The layout was executed in a style suited for the magazine Alternative Press. 

She also fulfilled an internship in the design department (signage) at Ralph Schomp Automotive while taking on freelance clients of her own. The internship turned into a full-time job as Schomp’s Graphic Designer & Digital Marketing Assistant, and during that time, she went on to complete her bachelor’s degree at CU Denver (Art History emphasis and a Digital Design minor; Honors Graduate).

Expanding her Repertoire & Professional Career

Jenna elected to study Art History at CU Denver to complement her skills and experience. During this time, she continued working in graphic design for Miller International and F+W Media, where her duties expanded into e-commerce and search engine optimization.

Capitalizing on this expanded direction, Jenna began working for Regis University as a Website and Email Developer, and soon thereafter, earned her graduate degree in Software Engineering (Enterprise Java Development) from Regis with an unblemished 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Jenna’s Advice to ACC Students

“I took a lot of credit courses in areas tangential to my academic discipline at ACC,” said Jenna. “Take as many supplemental courses as you can. This is the benefit of going to a two-year college. You can take the time to experiment and find the discipline that fits you. I found a supportive community of artists and professionals at ACC who were ready to help me grow in a variety of visual media. My time at ACC gave me the courage to put my heart into a project, as well as confidence to reevaluate my work.”

Nominate an Alum of the Year

Do you know someone who might be a great candidate for ACC Alum of the Year? Contact the ACC Alumni Network with your nomination and stay in touch. We want to hear about the degrees you’ve earned, career moves, promotions, and everything new in your life.

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