As a student in High School, I caught the Graphic Design and Digital Art bug. I did not know what I was doing at the time, but teachers always got a cover letter and some kind of graphic poster or visual aid as to what my reports and essays were about. I was often told that I was good writer, but I often think that images, pictures, and graphics speak louder than any words can.

Unfortunately, MS Paint and American Greetings Creatacard were my closest friends at the time. They were great campanions, but they had limitations.

As a student in College, I learned how to appreciate every single pixel that I see. I was pushed and pulled until everything about Graphic Design became a part of my life.

Westwood College was a life-changer. The instructors not only taught me what I needed to know, they taught me that I still needed to know. Even after graduation, I am still a student and I strive to push myself beyond my own limits.

As a teacher, my students opened my eyes wider than I ever thought possible. A Graphic Designer has to keep an open mind and convey what a clients want them to. Junior High and High School students see it a different way. When they sit and tell you what they want to do, they are speaking about their lives. Their art wasn't just about layout or Photoshop filters, it was about displaying who they are. It was their lives I had to teach them how to display in a creative way. It is just a beautiful feeling.

I am a Digital Artist. I am a Graphic Designer. I am a Photographer. Yet, before all of those things, I am a Student. And I am a Teacher. That is what I bring to this world. I do not create beauty. I just help put it on display.

-Raul "Boo Bear" Hernandez