Virtual Collaboration: CA & RT Combine Their Talents

Recently, students in the Commercial Arts (CA) and Restaurant Trades (RT) programs at LCCTC, under the guidance of their instructors Ms. Jennifer Price and Mr. Anthony DeRosa, tapped into their inner entrepreneur to combine their efforts and talents as they planned and designed potential food truck businesses!

After studying the demographics based on the social, cultural, and economic trends of the community, RT students brainstormed a theme, full menu and business name. Price, who has been the part-owner of a food-truck business called “Mex-to-go,“ provided guidance that stemmed from her first-hand experience.

Once the RT students’ ideas were approved by Ms. Price, it was on to the next step. Just as they would in the actual business world, they shared their ideas, including a main color theme with CA students — virtually, of course!

CA took the wheel making these plans come to life. Based on their own research and the specific directions provided by their RT “clients,” CA student began designing their ideas through sketches. Once these rough drafts were approved, changes were made accordingly and the CA students began to put their visions into a digital format.

“I especially liked studying demographics,” RT sophomore Fawlen Lykens says. “I wouldn’t want to start a restaurant without knowing who my customers may be.”

CA senior Nevada Grannis was up for the challenge adding, “It’s not always easy designing for clients, but I am glad to take on the challenge.” Grannis understand that being a commercial artist is much more than being creative; it’s being able to stylistically design to meet the needs of the client and make that design aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching to the general public.

The 2020 school year has been full of challenges; however, LCCTC has and will continue to rise and take on that challenge.

“The greatest asset we can offer our students is experience,” offers DeRosa. “In a normal year, our program provides career experience by designing for many businesses in the community; however, with the pandemic, community-based learning was limited greatly.” He continues, “It was only natural that we look in-house to continue to build industry-based skills.”

One of the best parts of the CTC is the many opportunities our students have to collaborate with a variety of industries and really pack their portfolios for the next steps in their professional lives.