Anell Velazquez

Anell Velazquez, born in Texas and raised in Mexico, is one of FAU’s outstanding Johnson First Generation Transfer Student scholarship recipients studying studio art at the Davie campus. She holds certifications in fundamentals of digital marketing, basic illustration, and graphic design support. In addition, Anell was awarded a Bright Futures scholarship and has been honored to have the first logo she created used at a humanities and art festival hosted by Palm Beach State College. "I aspire to be part of creating or redesigning brands and new experiences," she said.

Anell is currently in the process of submitting her design portfolio to the graphic design program. She hopes to become a freelance graphic designer or an art director, of her own creative agency. She always loved art and design and knew she belonged in this field. "It seemed like I belonged in the program," Anel said.

At first, she was unaware of what the program entailed but was intrigued by what she would learn and do after researching the classes and potential professions. She enjoys the in-person experience of the program, being around other creative students and faculty, giving, and receiving helpful feedback.

Anell has been a graphic design intern at Delray Beach Playhouse since Fall of 2022 and works alongside the marketing director. She is also a part of REMARK, a design magazine here at FAU, and is interested in printmaking.

Anell is proud to be the first person in her family to attend college and thrives on staying dedicated to her work. She chose FAU because it was close to home and offered an attractive graphic design program. Anell found out about the Johnson First Generation Scholarship when browsing for scholarships on the LINK Transfer Program website. After realizing she had met the requirements, she applied and was soon offered the scholarship. This scholarship award assists her with the tools she needs, such as adobe products she uses daily, her website portfolio, books, and funding to go to workshops to improve her graphic design skills. Anell plans to graduate in the fall semester of 2024, and after graduation, she plans to work at a creative agency while being a graphic design freelancer.

Anell is now a junior at FAU and describes herself as persistent, brave, and patient. She stays motivated by staying optimistic about life in general and remembering that school is temporary but very rewarding. She uses Pinterest to inspire her when creating a design, and having this scholarship keeps her focused on doing her best. If you do not know Anell personally, you may not be aware that she likes to listen to music at any chance she can and loves to learn different languages and cultures. So far, she has learned Portuguese, English, Russian, Turkish, and Korean language. She advises future applicants that school is a process and to be dedicated as nothing will come easy.

"Patience is going to be the key to success," she said. She also stated it is essential to keep your grades up, have options open when browsing for scholarships, and take the opportunity to increase your chances of an award."