Michael Kingcaid, Communication Design student

Creative, artistic, design-minded people are a rare breed, usually having been born into or raised among those who share their imaginative traits. Communication design student Michael Kingcaid is one such example, having been influenced by family members who dabbled in the arts and helped draw out his imagination and resourcefulness.

"I remember when I was young, [I received] a whole case of colored pencils, a big drawing pad, and art-related stuff from my dad," recalls Kingcaid. "My grandfather on my mom's side was real artistic, and my uncle was a musician. I've been creating stuff since I was a kid, so it was just a natural progression. Music and art go hand in hand."

How is it then that Kingcaid -- a reentry student who entirely dedicated himself to music during the years he was out of school, and once considered a career in veterinary services -- took the long road to an education in communication design? The onetime sign maker, who worked at shops in Emmaus and Telford, found himself at the mercy of a lackluster economy and was laid off when business slowed.

Enter NCC's Tuition Waiver Program, which Kingcaid took advantage of after speaking to an advisor about the fine arts program.

"This is my second time back at school, and I'm taking it a lot more seriously. I'm putting in a lot more work now, but I'm kind of glad that I ended up going later because the technology available to students now is a lot better," stresses Kingcaid. "It's the kind of work that when you're finally done with it, you can look back at it, and it's awesome."

Because the program major encompasses many aspects of fine arts -- from graphic design and web design to drawing - Kingcaid has been able to work directly with and develop a rapport with his instructors, whom he credits with helping him to build a solid portfolio.

"All of the professors so far have had everything laid out, so if you follow their directions, you learn a lot," Kingcaid advises to future students. "They've been really good about staying after classes or meeting up early to help people out. Every student should take advantage of the help that's available to them."

As for his own future, Kingcaid has a dream job in the back of his mind that he might one day work for a comic book company. For the time being, he's just taking his studies a day at a time.

"The way it worked out," says Kingcaid, "was kind of a blessing in disguise. I think this was just kind of built into me."