Making Things Work — The Second Time Around!
She interned with Relish — twice. In different roles. And, about 23 years apart!
Meet the marvelous Aquila Samson, a Winnipegger and Interaction Design and Development graduate of RRC Polytech who interned at Relish for three weeks in April, and who is now joining us as a full-time Junior Web Developer.
We sat down for a Q & A to learn more about Aquila’s circular journey.
Q. Aquila, it’s great to have you back- full time! I hear this wasn’t your first time at Relish, that you’re coming full circle. We’d love to hear more about your story. How did you first get started in design?
I’ve always had an affinity for creativity, and I was fortunate enough to have an amazing art teacher in high school at St. Mary’s Academy who encouraged and nurtured me — opening my eyes to career paths, such as the graphic design program at RRC Polytech (then called Advertising Art). But I didn’t feel quite prepared right out of high school to dive into RRC’s program.
Q. Where did you start out then?
Instead of RRC, I went to Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and got a BA in Communications; Advertising, and Studio Art. I had family down there, plus they have a very popular music program I was interested in. Concordia’s art program focused on more traditional skills including drawing and printmaking as opposed to computer-generated design.
Q. What else did you study?
I had the opportunity to take astronomy, women’s studies and history, amongst others. I mainly learned a lot of communication theory there, as opposed to hands-on designing, so I knew I was lacking in that regard. And that’s why I finally went to RRC Polytech to study graphic design. I always say Concordia taught me how to think, but RRC Polytech taught me how to do.
Q. So this time you felt prepared for RRC Polytech?
It was very challenging, but I stuck with it and while I was in school the program placed me at Relish. This would have been fall 2001, in fact. I remember Relish had a very small office, but of course it was just Suzanne, Charity and one other person back then. They were very, very busy, but friendly and welcoming. I, on the other hand, was very nervous and lacking in confidence, going in as a ‘baby designer,’ but helping out as best I could for my two-week internship.
Upon graduating I can honestly say I felt more confident in my skills – I was truly ready to be a designer! I soon got a job at Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).
Q. And how long were you at DUC?
After 17 years with DUC, I gathered the courage to start my own business, Aquila Samson Design. My business was successful, but I came to realize after a time that I disliked the admin side of freelance — having to hustle for new clients was not my cup of tea, and I really missed the camaraderie of being on a team.
Q. So, were you looking to reinvent yourself?
In a way. I had the opportunity to work with talented web developers and user experience experts while at DUC and was inspired to broaden my skill set in this area. I’d heard about the Digital Media Design course at RRC Polytech. So I took the leap and returned to school full-time.
Q. And how did you find yourself back at Relish?
The funny thing is, when it came time for my internship I was placed at Relish – again! Actually — without my asking! Not that I wouldn’t have asked, it was just funny how I ended up here anyway. Like it was meant to be.
Q. And what do you think of Relish now, 23 years later?
It’s so great to see Relish thriving! It’s a much bigger team now and everybody is working so well together. They’ve grown up – and so have I. I’m far more confident now. I hope now with a full-time job at Relish I can combine my passion for design with my newfound skills.
I really like to make things work for people.