Otis Alumni

Yaritza Velazquez (’22 BFA Communication Arts, Graphic Design with a minor in Advertising Design) arrived at Otis College ready to dive into graphic design, even though she had no prior experience. “I knew I wanted a place that had the patience and willingness to work with a student like myself, who wanted to learn design but never really knew about it,” she says of her decision to move from East Palo Alto, California to Los Angeles to attend Otis.

With supply chain issues making holiday shopping a bigger headache than usual this year, there’s no time like the present (pun intended) to shop small—and local—this season. “Unlike many online and big box retailers, we are completely stocked because our focus is local,” says Book Jewel manager Sean Moor of the benefits of shopping small this holiday season. “We know many of our customers on a first-name basis and care deeply about supporting our local schools and community. We believe that small businesses make a big difference in the communities they serve.” 

An abridged version of this profile appears in the 2021-2022 Admissions Viewbook. To request a Viewbook, please click here. 

Charlie Kendall’s path to Otis College was a little circuitous. “Architecture, programming, and biology were the subjects I was studying before art school,” says the Baltimore, Maryland native. “Funnily enough, I make paintings and drawings thinking about all of those things.” 

Right up to the moment he clicked “Submit,” Charlie Kendall (Communication Arts ’18) wasn’t sure of his contest entry. He had tinkered with his illustration for months, then started drawing new material at the last minute in the days leading up to his January 1, 2019 deadline. “I tried not to, but I was so unsure of it,” he says now. Then, many weeks passed. So many that when Andrew Heard, Manager of Art for Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, called him in February, Kendall was confused.