Commencement Spotlight: Camryn Stallworth

Camryn Stallworth, a graduating senior who is from Cincinnati and is majoring in graphic design, is looking forward to what the future holds. While at OHIO, Stallworth was recognized for her creative graphic design work by winning a Brian McIntyre Memorial Scholarship. She also served as the student graphic designer for the College of Fine Arts in her senior year. 

What are your next steps or plans for the future?

My next steps are moving back to Cincinnati and continuing to look for a job close to there, hopefully working for a sustainable and woke organization creating logos and branding documents. 

What memory stands out from your time at OHIO?

Finishing and starting graphic design classes with the same few people, I'm very appreciative to have such great people on the same path as me and in all the same classes, we sort of became this little family of designers. 

Why did you choose OHIO?

OHIO felt familiar and like home the second I stepped foot on campus. Whether that being the greenery, the historic buildings or the people. I have never felt uncomfortable or felt that I had to be someone I'm not here. 

Who were your favorite professors and how did they make an impact on your life?

Shelley Grundler, who is no longer a professor in the College of Fine Arts, changed my design career for the better. She never told us we couldn't do something and at the same time pushed us out of our comfort zones day in and day out. She taught me everything I know about typography and it was always nice to hear feedback from someone so wise no matter how brutal it was and that's because I knew it was making me better. 

What was the hardest hill you had to climb (not counting Jeff Hill) at OHIO? And how did you overcome challenges or obstacles in your path?

Over Covid (my sophomore year) my freshman roommate called me and told me she wasn't going back to OHIO and was transferring to a school back home. Not only was this hard because I was losing shared experiences with the person that I came to this University with, but I was now in panic mode trying to find off-campus living arrangements. All of our friends from year one were already paired up and had leases signed and I felt like I was going to be forced to live alone and I knew that was something I didn't want to do. 

I sucked it up and got on Facebook and starting looking for people who were looking for a roommate. Luckily I stumbled across a house of four other girls who I didn't know and I met them and somehow our personalities blended perfectly and I've lived with them for two years now. If I didn't find the courage to go out and look for random people on the internet there's no telling what my junior and senior year would look like, I wouldn't be the person I am without these girls. 

What are your favorite OHIO memories?

I honestly can't think of a bad memory I have here, but some of the best ones are lake days at Strouds Run State Park, going to Tantrum theater plays with coworkers from Jennings House, and Fest Season of course. 

What’s the one thing you would tell a new OHIO student not to miss?

One thing I would tell incoming students not to miss has to be Homecoming weekend. It has to be the most insanely chaotic weekend at OHIO. Just being able to see, not only students, but the entire community and alumni coming from all over the country to Athens to celebrate being a part of this community is something you can't miss.