Anna Parks of F.I.R.S.T. Institute News spoke with some of the July 2019 graduates on graduation day. They shared with her some of their favorite parts about the programs. We also learn what they plan to do now that they’ve graduated from the Orlando technical school.
F.I.R.S.T. Institute Graduates Speak July 2019
Our students are just amazing. They come to us for a quality education and to learn how to perfect their talents, skills and passions.
We do our best to make them feel appreciated and comfortable as students. Check out some of the amazing things F.I.R.S.T. Institute alumni said about our technical school and instructors:
Jonathan Carrillo
Jonathan Carrillo is a Graphic Design & Web Development graduate. His favorite part about F.I.R.S.T. Institute was the teachers. He built really good relationships with the instructors.
As a student, Jonathan’s favorite project was the creatives he and his classmates did using Adobe XD. This helped get him started in app development doing UI/UX. So, that’s probably where he’s headed now that he’s graduated, noting, “It’s good stuff.”
The F.I.R.S.T. instructors taught him a lot, he says. This really gave him the tools he needed to get into the industry, which he’s working in now.
Carrillo already has a full-time job in the industry. He’s also doing freelance work. Currently, the alumnus has some prospects with some big companies in the local Orlando area. He doesn’t want to give out any secrets. But he’s very hopeful.
Frank Olivier
Frank Olivier graduated from the Recording Arts & Show Production program. His favorite part about being a student at F.I.R.S.T. was the instructors. He liked the personality that they brought into the class.
Olivier says the teachers were very knowledgeable about the program. And he loves the way the program is taught. They make learning while actually enjoying the class very easy.
He plans to find a couple of show production companies to work with now that he’s out of school. Frank is determined to work in the production field.
Eventually, the graduate wants to get into some studios to work with producers and engineers. He already has a couple of offers. So, he’s looking forward to moving on and getting out into the field to work on some productions.
Charles McCarthy
Charles McCarthy is a Recording Arts & Show Production graduate. His favorite part about F.I.R.S.T. Institute was being able to take his passion for music and develop skills that go along with that passion. He loves being able to use this to gain a career for himself.
His favorite project was definitely the band project. Charles says it’s because the students got to do so many awesome things with their band.
He tells Anna Parks that the band was also awesome. They were great guys. And everyone just had a fun time producing the track. Together, they made an amazing song.
Now that’s he graduated, McCarthy is going to look for work in the live sound arena. He hopes to land a job as a stagehand somewhere. Eventually, the graduate wants to work his way up to working in a studio, possibly as a mixing engineer or a recording engineer.
Ultimately, the alumnus wants to work on his own musical goals at the same time. So, as he says, “It’s all going to come together.”
Eula Seward
Eula Seward graduated from the Digital Filmmaking and Video Production program. Her favorite part about attending F.I.R.S.T. was learning more about editing film and videos.
She loved the small class sizes too. Eula says the instructors are really hands-on with all the students. And that was “great.”
Now that she’s graduated, the alumnus hopes to land some PA positions. Seward says that would be great to get her foot in the door and get her career started.
Zachary Moore
Zachary Moore is a Digital Filmmaking and Video Production graduate. His favorite part about the Orlando technical school was the fact that the classes were so small.
He says you get hands-on experience with all of the production and film equipment. And the instructors are really there to help you. Overall, he liked the entire environment.
According to Zachary, he’s already landed a job as a videographer for a construction company. In the meantime, he’s going to save up money to work on his own projects as well, and maybe do some freelance work.
Justin Rios
Justin Rios graduated from the Digital Filmmaking and Video Production program. His favorite part about being a F.I.R.S.T. student was the live production work because he and his class had the most fun with that.
The students were given the freedom to get really creative and get a lot of artistic work done, such as the segments and things like that. It was fun because the students were encouraged to be themselves. And that “paid off in the end.”
Briandrea Missick
Briandrea Missick is a Recording Arts & Show Production graduate. Her favorite project was recording the band. That was very intense, she says.
The F.I.R.S.T. alumnus likes hooking up cords and things of that nature. So, that’s why this was Briandrea’s favorite.
She also enjoyed doing the live show for the band. And later on, she loved working with Show Pro.
Tobias Palmer
Tobias Palmer graduated from the Digital Filmmaking and Video Production program. “To be honest,” he says his favorite part about F.I.R.S.T. Institute was the people that he met.
Palmer says it’s the connections that he met and the friends he made that drove him the most. Plus, the instructors have a lot of knowledge. So, he’s really glad he got the opportunity to attend F.I.R.S.T.
Now that Palmer has graduated, he plans to keep working with video and film production studios. A few months ago, he landed a job at a studio, so he has some experience. That’s what he’s been doing since then and plans to continue.
According to Tobias, he will just keep doing studio work until he finds some freelance gigs. Eventually, he wants to do some short films along the way… personal work. He admits it’s small stuff, but it’s getting him prepared for the big stuff that comes along years down the line.
