Giving Back

Putting the Kids First

Illustrations From The Students at Windham Middle School

Colorful drawing of a ladybug on a leaf, a blue flower, musical notes, hearts, a dog, and an orange pepper.

The visual concept for Giving Back centered on student volunteerism at the University of Connecticut. To capture this theme as Creative Director, I organized a visit with the Windham Middle School volunteer program, Big Brother Big Sister, and invited the students to illustrate the iconography for the magazine. Experiences like this highlight the importance of nurturing creativity in younger generations, inspiring them to express their ideas with confidence. My designers and I were so thankful to have such a talented group of kids illustrating Nutmeg's spring issue, Giving Back.

Group of children and a teacher gathered around a blue table in a school cafeteria, engaged in a learning activity with paper, colored pencils, and laptops.
Three children performing handstands outdoors near a chain-link fence with a track and trees in the background.

Designer Daniel taking a cartwheel break with Alisha and Anya

The image shows the table of contents page of a magazine or yearbook with colorful child-drawn illustrations on the left side, including a ladybug on a leaf, a pink paw print, a blue flower, a pink musical note, a heart, an orange carrot, and a giraffe. The right side lists various articles and their page numbers, with large black text at the top reading "TABLE OF CONTENTS."
  • A two-page spread from a magazine or yearbook. The left page features colorful, crayon-drawn illustrations of a ladybug, paw prints, a musical note, a heart, a bunny, and a carrot. The right page displays a table of contents with black text on a white background, listing various sections and their page numbers.

  • Open magazine featuring a two-page spread with a list of staff and their titles on the left page and a column of text with a large photograph of a smiling young woman with dark hair and a white top on the right page.

  • A two-page magazine spread featuring an article about HuskYTHON, with a large photo of children at a large gathering or event, and a smaller photo of a young boy building with blocks.

  • A magazine spread featuring a photograph of multiple bicycles stored indoors against a brick wall, with a curtain decorated with black stars in the background. The left page contains an article titled 'Helping Hands at WAIM' and the right page has text and part of a photograph of a woman with short dark hair and a name tag.

  • The image shows a magazine or booklet spread about a program called the 'Puppy Prep School.' The left page has large red text reading 'Puppy Prep School' and contains articles and images of puppies and people, including a smiling woman with a black Labrador puppy, and two puppies looking at each other. The right page features a photo of young women walking puppies on leashes outside a building, with several puppies and handlers visible, along with additional text discussing puppy training and the club.

  • Two young women walking a Siberian Husky on a leash outside near a building, and two young women sitting and reading inside, with a close-up of a Siberian Husky's face.

  • A magazine spread featuring various photographs of people and activities, including a group photo outdoors, a painted bus with a nature scene, and a close-up of two women smiling indoors.

  • Open magazine spread featuring the book "Big Brother Big Sister" by Josh Zatulksis on the left page, with a sketch of a dog and a cat. The right page shows a woman smiling and a young girl sitting at a table in a classroom, with text and other photos visible in the background.

  • A magazine spread with a headline in large red and pink text that reads 'Blood, Sweat and Volunteers'. Beneath the headline, there are photos of people, including a young man in a red shirt and glasses, a woman with dark hair, and a young man in a blue hoodie, participating in a blood donation event. The article discusses volunteering for blood drives and related activities.

  • A magazine spread about a community farm, featuring a photo of a quaint farm house surrounded by flowers, and a close-up of abundant blooming flowers in the garden.

  • Two young men are harvesting tomatoes in a garden, with a greenhouse and trees in the background during daylight.

  • Two women lying on medical examination tables during physical therapy sessions, with a woman in a white shirt holding a resistance band and smiling.

  • Photograph of three young women standing in front of a large window with curtains, clapping and smiling during a presentation or event.

  • A magazine spread about dogs and service projects, featuring multiple photos of young women with Siberian Huskies, including one holding a handwritten note, and text discussing community service and service dogs.

  • Open magazine spread with text and photos, featuring a story titled 'Connecting Across Generations' by Ava Naclerio. The photos include a reception area with a Starbucks store sign, office desks, a young woman with glasses smiling at a table with food, and a woman on the phone at a desk.

  • Magazines spread open to a two-page article about a charity event called Plunge for Funds, featuring a large photograph of a smiling young woman with short hair wearing a grey T-shirt at an outdoor event and multiple smaller photos of people participating in outdoor activities by a body of water.

  • A vibrant illustration of numerous cartoon-style dog faces, including breeds like Labrador, Dalmatian, Rottweiler, Corgi, and Pug, arranged in a dense pattern and divided into two sections. The bottom left corner contains red text that says 'Find the Jonathan.'

  • Close-up of a magazine or brochure page with a person's hand reaching into a pile of weeds or plants outdoors. The text includes 'NUTMEG', 'University of Connecticut', and 'Issue 26'. The left part of the image shows a red background with a white logo.