Gail Parker

Student

“What I’ve learned at SMC is a lot more than just design. My teachers have all been professionals who can really help you learn the business.”

She’d been working full time, so her re-immersion in learning required some baby steps. “It’s going on four years now at SMC, but now it’s like, ‘Okay. Let’s get this done!’” says Gail Parker with a laugh. “Being back in school definitely took some adjustment, but I took a lot of night classes that really helped me to ease back in. And I’d recommend those classes to any working people—young or old.” Having been in dentistry for years, Gail reports that her new career is one that’s much closer to heart.

“People were always telling me that I should be in design because I’m very artistic. So one morning I just woke up and said, ‘This is it! I’m going back!’ It was a tough thing at first,” she adds. “But now I really feel that learning is a real part of me.”

Among the many instructors that have helped Gail redefine her perceptions about success is one she singles out. “Luis De Moraes is the first teacher I had, and if it hadn’t been for him, I would never have learned drafting,” she says. “He was a tough teacher, but he was the best. Architectural Design was like a strange new language for me. And if not for Luis, I wonder if I’d ever have taken the next step.”

The steps Gail is taking now are no longer baby ones. “I think I’m going into either commercial design or theme design; like the Disney parks or theme hotels,” she says. “But through school, I’ve already worked in the movies in set design. The applications in this field are endless. And my instructors have been great in pointing out: How do you get a position? Whom do you contact? How do you carry yourself professionally? This is not knowledge that went over my head,” she says. “I followed up on what they told me… and I’m working!”

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