GCM major Juliet Lambert wins Student Employee of the Year.

Appalachian State University’s Student Employee of the Year for 2020 was Juliet Lambert, a Graphics Communications Management major. The major changed names during Lambert’s time at Appalachian. It was called Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology when she started the program, but it has since been renamed Graphic Communications Management (GCM). Lambert recently graduated a semester early from the program in December of 2020 with a concentration in Cross Media Production and a minor in Business.

Lambert has worked at the Technology Checkout Desk at the Belk library for over two years since her sophomore year. The job included checking out items to faculty, staff, and students at the Technology Check-out Desk, including providing services and technological items such as laptop computers, cameras, headphones, and audio-recorders. She also helped manage the use of the Audio and Video Recording Rooms, as well as the Digital Media Studio. She helped students with projects using technology and assisted her supervisors with workshops on software use. Lambert was able to apply the technology and software knowledge that she gained in the GCM program, such as using the Adobe Creative Suite, to assist others with projects using these tools and giving them the resources needed to make their projects successful. Her favorite part of the job was working with the Appalachian community and interacting with students, faculty, and staff from all over the campus.

“Helping others allowed me to learn even more and to put into practice what I had learned,” says Lambert. Working at the library and being a part of the GCM program have been major highlights of her experience at Appalachian. “Hands-on projects were my favorite part of the GCM program, from screen-printing t-shirts to interning at a local newspaper, which helped me gain real-world experience while being active and on-the-job during my time here,” she says.

The GCM program has been like an extended family to Lambert, and she advises incoming students to make friends with students within their major and network, but to also try things outside of their comfort zones, taking advantage of the diversity of classes and professors available to them. Lambert has already been accepted into the Library and Educational Media master’s program at Appalachian. She hopes to work as an Educational Media Specialist after she graduates. Lambert would like to thank all of the faculty and staff in the Graphic Communications Management program for helping her in her college career and says, “From class lectures to hands-on projects, from office hours and after-class advising, from being available through email and Zoom, I appreciate you all for being there and guiding me towards my future.” Congratulations, Juliet!

by Kay Bishop