As often happens, a Work Study job on campus turns into a learning opportunity and a chance to beef\u00a0up one\u2019s resume, or in April Huber\u2019s case, her portfolio. She\u2019ll graduate with more than her graphic design capstone project to demonstrate her skills\u2014she\u2019ll have the Big Red M Box.<\/p>\n
The box contains exclusive, branded Maryville gear and will be available as a series for current students, prospective students and alumni. The slogan is \u201cExperience Maryville\u2019s Tradition, Pride and Spirit.\u201d The idea for such a box was sparked by Nina Caldwell, EdD, vice president for student life.<\/p>\n
Caldwell passed her vision on to two administrators of the M Store \u2014 Adrienne Jackson, retail innovation specialist, and Laura Stevens, director of auxiliary operations \u2014 for further development. In turn, they approached Huber.<\/p>\n
Their Work Study student was more than happy to take the lead on bringing Caldwell\u2019s concept to life. \u201cAt the M Store, student employees are encouraged to step up and take ownership of everything in the store, including projects like the Big Red M Box,\u201d Huber says.<\/p>\n
Huber, who is now a senior, began working with the M Store as a first-year graphic design student. \u201cApril is a very talented young woman, and we have been so fortunate to watch her develop into a lead position in the M Store,\u201d Stevens says.<\/p>\n
Huber\u2019s favorite element is a printed card that details what\u2019s in the box on one side and a \u201cDid You Know?\u201d on the other, which explains the tradition behind the Big Red M logo, the name change for Maryville athletics teams from the Brewers to the Saints in 1979 and the annual alumni meeting that eventually led to the University\u2019s first Homecoming festivities.
\n\u201cI think it helps to know your roots,\u201d says Huber. \u201cI worked with Emma Prince, Maryville\u2019s archivist, to research the history. Most people have no idea what\u2019s led to the exciting University we enjoy today.\u201d<\/p>\n
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From there, Huber was inspired. She led the design of the box and its logo. A focus group of students chose items for the first box in the series: a double-walled stainless-steel water bottle, a tech case that comes with device charging cords, a T-shirt and a logo-engraved keychain.<\/p>\n
Huber\u2019s experience as a graphic design student fueled her vision for the box. This past summer, she began an internship at the St. Louis design firm of Stephens\u00a0Creative, where she still works while also maintaining her part-time job with the M Store. \u201cMy internship is a wonderful fit that provides me with invaluable opportunities to do what I love best, which is working with great people to find solutions to problems by providing a full design experience,\u201d Huber says.<\/p>\n
Huber has also taken on pro bono work, with the help of graphic design instructor Caren Schlossberg-Wood. \u201cShe introduced me to a nonprofit organization called MetroWest Firefighters Community Outreach as part of a class project,\u201d she says. \u201cThey serve the community through charitable giving, like shoe and clothing drives and distributing defibrillators. They needed a primary logo design, and I was honored to have the opportunity to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huber is now busy with the capstone project she needs to complete her BFA. Her project is designing a restaurant with four rooms, each featuring a different musical genre. Every detail\u00a0of every room, from menus to color choices, will incorporate the genre. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a matter of playing different music in each room\u2014it\u2019s a whole experience,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit she demonstrated with the Big Red M Box project, Huber says her guiding principle is to \u201cdo good work for good people.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story originally appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of Maryville Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n