Leah Alford
Name: Leah Alford
Hometown: Charleston, S.C.
Year in School: Senior
Major: Digital Culture and Design
The digital culture and design program at Coastal is extremely popular. It encompasses all the new age disciplines that are important in society and it is led by faculty members who are very highly recommended. In fact, the program is so unique and in-demand that students are transferring to Coastal to enroll in it. Leah Alford is one of these students.
Sold on the strong storytelling emphasis of the major, Leah, a junior from Charleston, became a Chanticleer. Since enrolling, she has had the opportunity to explore website building, remodeling, photography, coding, social media and more. Her exposure to the digital culture and design curriculum has helped Leah identify what she wants to do once she graduates. After she has her degree in hand, she wants to move back to Charleston and help the area businesses build their respective brands online.
However, Leah isn’t just happy with the academic direction Coastal was taken her. She is also pleased with the atmosphere she enjoys on campus each day. Stating that it is “not hard to turn to the person next to you and start a conversation,” Leah is appreciative of the people she has met since arriving in Conway.
But besides the positive educational and social aspects of her decision to attend Coastal, Leah might be most proud of her personal triumphs. She has come to realize that her time in #TEALnation has made her much more independent and confident.
“Since arriving here (at Coastal), I have found myself,” Leah reflects.
It just doesn’t get any better when everything clicks.
Q&A with Leah
How did you hear about Coastal?: I have always been aware of Coastal because my family took vacations here when I was younger.
Why did you come to Coastal?: I was looking for a school to transfer to that just didn’t have a major based in digital arts but also in digital story telling. It was just my luck to stumble upon the new DCD major; after a few phone calls, I was sold! Additionally, there was also such a wide variety of activities within student life that I could become involved in.
Favorite professor: Jen Boyle, Ph.D., and Susan Bergeron, Ph.D., gave me a very warm welcome the first day they saw me. It was like they already knew who I was and made sure to get the answers I needed to any of the questions I had.
Favorite class: My favorite class I have had here was Coding for Humanists or DCD 201. I learned some computer markup languages, what they're used for and how these are vital to learning/creating software and websites.
Favorite aspect of Coastal?: Everyone is very lively and friendly here! It's not hard to turn to the person next to you and start a conversation with them.
Favorite aspect of living in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area?: Myrtle Beach is a tourist town so there's always something to do! You'll never get bored around here.
Do you work anywhere currently (either on or off campus)?: Currently, I work at The Cove at CCU; it's an off campus apartment complex that is also open to tech students and the public.
Plans after graduation?: I wouldn't necessarily call them plans, I'd call them goals. I want to go back to Charleston and help small businesses to build their brand online with social media marketing, website building and remodeling. I would also like to design a pop-up museum exhibit in the middle of a busy city, be featured in a gallery for my photography work, and create short films and a photo series on situational and interpersonal problems we face in life.
What are your hobbies?: Since I've gone off to college, I have heavily invested myself in photography. I have a lot of ridiculous, really cool gear I use in my work and for fun!
Do you have any hidden talents?: Not too many people know this, but I'd consider myself to be a pretty decent singer. I have most of my friends convinced I sound like a talking horse.
Bonus Info: Self-motivation is a HUGE key to success in anything you can do. We have to find the strength within us to realize the importance of the tasks we do. Finding fascination in a subject or field of work is a start which is how I found myself here at Coastal.