Hi! My name is Alex Jackson! I'm a senior at James Madison University about to graduate this May (bittersweet feelings about this fact). I'm majoring in Media Arts and Design with a concentration in converged media which studies the creation of digital content and how it interacts (or converges) on the web. Through this major I am skilled and interested in graphic design, web design, and new media strategy.
Now for a little more about me. I'm from Olney, MD, a small town in between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Living in the middle of two metropolitan cities has made me a city lover with a great appreciation of all kinds of art and creativity. Some of my favorite things to do are visit musueums and attend art and music festivals such as Artscape in Baltimore. In my free time I like to read, listen to music, use social media/blog, and keep up with current events/digital trends.
Now for a little more about me. I'm from Olney, MD, a small town in between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Living in the middle of two metropolitan cities has made me a city lover with a great appreciation of all kinds of art and creativity. Some of my favorite things to do are visit musueums and attend art and music festivals such as Artscape in Baltimore. In my free time I like to read, listen to music, use social media/blog, and keep up with current events/digital trends.
Living outside of DC and Baltimore has given me several internship oppurtuinites.
Last summer I was lucky enough to intern with the Web and New Media Department at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. My summer project involved usability and user experience testing of the museum’s current and future digital platforms. The internship allowed me to interact with NASM’s many visitors and broadened my knowledge of UX. I feel extremely thankful for the opportunity the National Air and Space Museum has given me and am excited for my chance to learn more throughout this summer. Also my supervisor taught me a lot on how to create a professional social medial presence and gave me a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to monitor and keep up with various accounts. I believe the skills gained during the internship gave me a better understanding of the digital industry and I am so grateful for the experience.
During summer 2014 I was lucky enough to be given a summer internship with the non-profit America’s Promise Alliance in Washington, DC. At America’s Promise I assisted the digital team in creating graphics for the organization’s social media and website as well as uploading content to America’s Promise’s two websites using Drupal. I loved my time working in a big city and working for America’s Promise; it reassured me that working with multimedia is what I want to do and got me excited for the future.
During the summers from 2010 to 2013 I interned with the marketing department at Computer Packages Inc. located in Rockville, MD. While the internship did not deal with new media, it enhanced my computer and communication skills while working in a professional environment.
Last summer I was lucky enough to intern with the Web and New Media Department at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. My summer project involved usability and user experience testing of the museum’s current and future digital platforms. The internship allowed me to interact with NASM’s many visitors and broadened my knowledge of UX. I feel extremely thankful for the opportunity the National Air and Space Museum has given me and am excited for my chance to learn more throughout this summer. Also my supervisor taught me a lot on how to create a professional social medial presence and gave me a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to monitor and keep up with various accounts. I believe the skills gained during the internship gave me a better understanding of the digital industry and I am so grateful for the experience.
During summer 2014 I was lucky enough to be given a summer internship with the non-profit America’s Promise Alliance in Washington, DC. At America’s Promise I assisted the digital team in creating graphics for the organization’s social media and website as well as uploading content to America’s Promise’s two websites using Drupal. I loved my time working in a big city and working for America’s Promise; it reassured me that working with multimedia is what I want to do and got me excited for the future.
During the summers from 2010 to 2013 I interned with the marketing department at Computer Packages Inc. located in Rockville, MD. While the internship did not deal with new media, it enhanced my computer and communication skills while working in a professional environment.
Some notable courses I have taken during my college career are:
- Business Management of Media: how to navigate the professional world specifically in the new media field
- Interactive Design for the Web II: JavaScript, jQuery, and Bootstrap
- Converged Media Lab: WordPress and client web development projects
- New Media Law: Copyright law as it applies to new media
- Print Communication Design: use of the Adobe Creative Suite to communicate ideas via print
- Media and Politics
- Media Ethics
- Interactive Design for the Web I: HTML/CSS and an introduction to WordPress
- The Media Arts: Culture by Design: “Study of how mediated communication molds perception and influences cultural change”
- Writing for New Media
- Introduction to Media Arts and Design: “Study of the historical evolution of today’s media industries and career paths”
- Fundamental Skills in Media Arts and Design I: Intro to Adobe Creative Suite
- Fundamentals Skills in Media Arts and Design II: Web development and production, and digital audio and video production
- Computer Information Systems, and
- 2 years of French (up to intermediate level)
Created by Alexandra Jackson
Last updated: 4/4/16
