Walid Al-Tinawi (Experience Design, 2025)
I came to the Brandcenter looking for a challenge—but what I got was a crash course in life.
When I started, I was ready to push my creative boundaries. As a video editor at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, I was already telling stories that connected people to culture and history through art. I loved my work, but I was curious: could creativity solve even bigger problems? Could it make a deeper impact?
Then life decided to get creative with me.
Not long after I began, my dad’s health took a turn for the worse. Suddenly, I was juggling school deadlines, family responsibilities, and my job, all while trying to keep my head above water. By my second year, I was working two jobs to help support myself and my family, and there were plenty of days where “survival” felt like the primary goal.
But the thing about the Brandcenter? It doesn’t let you crumble.
The professors weren’t just educators—they were mentors. They saw my potential, pushed me when I needed it, and offered grace when life felt overwhelming. My classmates were just as incredible, a group of wildly talented people who turned late-night brainstorming into an art form. We leaned on each other, laughed through the stress, and managed to turn chaos into creativity.
Somewhere in the mess of deadlines, pitches, and group projects, I found something unexpected: confidence.
Brandcenter taught me that creativity isn’t magic—it’s a skill you can build, refine, and use to tackle just about anything. That confidence landed me a dream internship at National Geographic, where I told stories about explorers and their groundbreaking work. It wasn’t advertising, but it was undeniably creative. The skills I’d developed at
Brandcenter—problem-solving, storytelling, and crafting work that connects with people—fit seamlessly.
What I learned is that the Brandcenter isn’t just for people chasing jobs in advertising. It’s a place that teaches you how to think, solve, and create in ways that can shape any field.
Sure, it’s tough. But it’s the kind of tough that leaves you better, sharper, and ready for whatever challenge comes next. And if that’s not worth the struggle, I don’t know what is.
