Rachel Smith is a full-time Digital Media Arts Professor at Solano Community who revamped the Graphic Design program and brought a state-of-the-art computer lab to the Vallejo Campus.
Before she came to Solano, Smith worked at a College in San Francisco, along with two other colleges. In a single day, Smith received the same job listing, for a Graphic Design Instructor at Solano Community College, from three different friends. For Smith that was a sign that she should apply, which turned out to be a wise move, especially since after completing an Art Degree “it was hard finding a job.”
After that She went to UC Davis Grad School to learn and study the history of Graphic Design and get a degree to teach it. While being part of this Community there are always challenges. Smith thinks Solano is a “great place to work because the students and instructors are awesome.”
However, Smith is in her own Department called Digital Media Arts.
Smith has many hobbies outside of this Campus. She enjoys playing music and loves to sing. I asked Smith how long she has been doing music. “6 years of guitar” which she started when she was 12 and started singing when she was young and did it professionally in her 20s, so “basically 25 years.”Smith has an album of her own created in 2023. Her music is mostly Jazz along with her lyrics as well.
Smith teaches Classes in Graphic Design along with Animation and typo photography. As an Instructor, she writes out it with all of her Classes, and makes the Schedule. The Course that she is currently teaching is Animation which is a 12-week course where you learn how to Animate and how to use Adobe Animate, and Photoshop to create images.
Smith tries to make her job both “fun and serious” while teaching at the Vallejo Campus. She tries to do her best with her students, and hopes students love her teaching method.
Sometimes as a teacher “you are not going to reach every person” Smith stated, but she does intend to try. Smith likes putting in the effort of teaching and creating work as a Professor; she feels that it is more important to help out students.
The way Smith teaches is that she tries to give as many suggestions as she can for her students if they want to major in Graphic Design. In Graphic II most of her students put their work into portfolios when it comes to working with clients. Last Year Smith’s students did a Logo for a Wine label so they got the experience with that client.
Smith does a lot of projects, but for the Illustration class, they are working on a logo for the Basic Needs Center which is located on the Solano Main Campus.
The important thing, she says, is that “as an Artist, you don’t have to manage clients but, when you are a designer you do”. Smith has created a lot of logos for the UC Davis Transit Center, some Logos in Berkeley and Hayward.
Smith wanted to create her own courses where she can create more classes in those specific areas. Creating the department made sure there will be more opportunities for Students who want to succeed in that degree. Digital Media is a small department but the department is “growing”. Which I think is an amazing input for Solano College Students who are majoring in that Course.
Smith is always trying to get more faculty hired because she feels there are more experts that people can talk to.
Smith says “ there are a lot of great people here and the community itself.” And hearing that is encouraging for new students that are attending Solano Community College.
