Three Transfer Student Alums Share How They Thrived at Otis College

Programs, Blog, Alumni | July 28, 2025 | BY Kate Findley

Lanise Howard, Khang Nguyen, and Nelly Le took different paths to Otis before launching their creative careers.

Lanise Howard greets Otis College students touring her downtown L.A. studio. Photograph by Jennifer Atalla/Otis College of Art and Design

In today’s higher education landscape, transferring from community college is more than common—it’s strategic. Nearly 30% of new Otis College students arrive as transfers, bringing fresh perspectives that energize the creative community. Students have embraced community college as a cost-effective, flexible pathway to explore their interests before diving into a specialized art and design education.

Otis supports this journey through comprehensive articulation agreements with community colleges across California and robust transfer credit policies. These systems help students maximize prior coursework while fully immersing themselves in their chosen creative discipline.

Three recent graduates—Lanise Howard (’20 BFA Fine Arts), Khang Nguyen (’21 BFA Graphic Design), and Nelly Le (’24 BFA Graphic Design)—each arrived at Otis as transfers and found something essential: a community where their creativity flourished and their voices emerged. Their stories offer insight into how transfer students not only acclimate but thrive.

Lanise Howard: From Fashion to Fine Arts

Lanise Howard didn’t set out to become a painter. She began at El Camino College in Torrance, California studying fashion design, but a painting elective sparked a shift toward fine arts—and a transfer to Otis. What sealed her decision was seeing the large-scale drawings Otis students were creating and learning about legendary alumni like Kerry James Marshall (’78 BFA Fine Arts) and instructor Charles White, who taught at the College from 1965 until his death in 1979.

“It made me want to be part of that history,” Howard says.

Lanise Howard, “Alignment” (Oil on canvas, 40 by 30 inches).

Howard’s biggest concern about transferring was community integration. Initially, she feared feeling like an outsider. But her fear proved unfounded “I fit right in, quickly, aligning with peers who shared similar interests,” she says.

Support from faculty and her academic advisors helped her adjust, particularly during challenging moments. At Otis, Howard valued gaining real-world insights from practicing artist-professors about the gallery system, filing income taxes as an artist, and building a career. A professional practice course demystified the art world, while rigorous critiques transformed her process.

“Critique at Otis was fundamental in helping me reinvestigate my work through a microscope,” she says. “I began to understand why I was creating the work I was and to expand the language around my art.”

She has exhibited her work widely, winning the Women Painters West Award before she graduated from Otis, and earned a finalist spot for the AXA Art Prize. Today, her vibrant paintings explore sacred geometry, assimilation, and hidden histories.

For prospective transfers, she offers practical advice.

“Take as many general ed courses as possible at city college so that you can focus more on what you want to do once you get to Otis,” she says. “Also, be open to meeting new people."

Khang Nguyen: Bringing his Global Perspective to L.A. Design

Khang Nguyen’s creative path began with Pokémon and coloring books when he was a child.

“Instead of just coloring in the pages, I redrew the Pokémon on paper and added background environments from my imagination,” Nguyen says. “Each painting was a fun project.”

Khang Nguyen records his 2021 Valedictorian speech for a virtual commencement ceremony held during COVID quarantines.

When he was a teen, Nguyen discovered the term “graphic design” and immediately recognized it as his calling.

“Not only do I like drawing, but I’m also interested in playing with composition, typography, and animation,” he says.

Originally from Vietnam, Nguyen brought his cultural perspective to the U.S., first as a student at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, and then at Otis—most notably in a book he illustrated about Northern Vietnam’s water puppetry, inspired by Pinocchio and adapted to promote his homeland’s traditions.

Even as a transfer student, Nguyen felt welcomed. “I knew I would find ways to blend in with a community of creatives, but at the same time, I let my own artistry shine,” he says. He thrived in critiques and found challenge and inspiration in typography courses, which opened him up to the “beauty of type…. After putting in the work and then succeeding in those classes, I felt much more confident in my skills.”

His time in the student-run Otis Design Lab proved pivotal. “It not only broadened my portfolio but also enhanced my hard and soft skills across the board,” Nguyen says. He took inspiration from Los Angeles when he designed the 2020 Otis Admissions viewbook cover, which features a 3D landscape that rotates 360 degrees, inviting viewers to “travel around the City of Angels.”

Khang Nguyen’s design for Otis College’s 2020 Admissions Viewbook.

“The first thing that came to mind was the color palette of a warm, vibrant sunset,” he explains. “Then I thought of high buildings and iconic monuments and architecture.”

Nguyen’s accolades include being named valedictorian of his graduating class and a Graphic Design USA’s “Students to Watch,” as well as winning a NYX Cosmetics competition in 2020.

Now working at eos Products in New York, he designs video content, animations, and digital assets for social and e-commerce platforms. His advice for transfer students? Take advantage of Otis’s Office of Career Services, which offers resume review, networking advice, and post-graduation preparation.

“In the end, Otis accounts for 50% of your success,” Nguyen says. “The other 50% is you. Be proactive—and most importantly, have fun creatively!”

Nelly Le: Building Connections Across Cultures

Nelly Le shows off the mortarboard she decorated for her graduation ceremony in May 2024. Photograph by Danielle Vega/Otis College of Art and Design

For Nelly Le, creativity started early. Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, she taught herself Photoshop and Illustrator by designing banners for Facebook.

“It sounds silly, but I got to try every style and concept—and I fell in love with the endless possibilities of design,” she says.

Le first encountered Otis through the Ryman Arts program in high school. After a long drive to Otis’s campus she arrived to find the Admissions office closed. But what could have been a disappointing experience was transformed through kindness.

“We were assisted by a lovely staff member who comforted us with free cookies from Elaine’s Dining Hall,” Le says. “After a nice long chat about the school and its programs, I ended up with a free code for my college application fee.”

Though initially accepted, Le chose to attend California Lutheran University in Woodland Hills, California due to family pressure to follow a career in a STEM field. Two years later, she transferred to Otis—ready to follow her creative calling. “I chose Otis because I felt like I really belonged,” she says.

Like many transfer students, Le worried about starting over. But she overcame that fear by staying curious. “I found faculty and friends I trusted—and annoyingly asked a lot of questions,” she laughs.

That persistence paid off when she realized how much she didn’t know about traditional design. “I was genuinely confused by all the design terms,” she says. “I had no idea that printed material was still so important.”

Her senior project explored blending analog and digital design. Electives that introduced AI art generators, coding, comic art, and watercolor helped her avoid feeling “stuck in a graphic design bubble.”

The program Nelly Le designed for Southern California Public Radio’s 2024 gala fundraiser.

Le also credits her campus jobs—working under Otis Creative Director Emily Carlson in the Design Lab and Social Media and Digital Marketing Manager Karissa Lake in the Communications and Marketing department—as key to her growth.

“We got to meet real clients and work on real projects with real feedback,” she says. “It was such an important experience before starting my career.”

Le currently works at the Deutsch advertising agency as a junior designer. As a multidisciplinary designer, she draws on her immigrant experience to create work focused on connection across cultures. “Being an immigrant shapes how I see the world,” she says. “That naturally led me to create work about identity, belonging, and fostering understanding.”

Her encouragement to transfer students is simple: “Don’t be afraid to take the leap! It might seem scary to switch schools—but it can also be exciting.”

Like the others, she emphasizes the importance of taking initiative. “All the resources and connections I made were possible because of Otis,” she says. “All you have to do is reach out.”

The Transfer Advantage

These stories illuminate a crucial truth: transfer students don’t just catch up at Otis—they often excel because of their journeys. Their prior college experience, unique backgrounds, and clarity of purpose create a strong foundation for exceptional creative work.

Whether you’re exploring creative possibilities or ready to specialize, Otis welcomes transfer students who bring new perspectives and determined focus. Your path doesn’t have to be traditional to be transformational.

Learn About Transferring to Otis