EntertainingYourself.com ☺ | Featured EY Contributor: Kerry Butler

Like any other student anticipating the end of August/beginning of September time of year, I am still wondering how June, July, and August passed by so quickly. I took five courses throughout my summer break, and now that they all have come to an end, I feel as though my summer has just begun.

During my last few weeks of relaxation, I have been traveling to various areas throughout Cleveland to engage in a personal favorite hobby: photography. To keep a three-year tradition of mine alive, I recently attended the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy. The Feast is an annual event that begins with a religious procession through the streets, followed by carnival rides, vendors, live music, and fireworks. The Feast amazes me. From meeting new people, experiencing a different culture, and, of course, sampling delicious Italian food, the event is far beyond entertaining.

This year I decided to bring along my camera as I took a Photography course this summer and wanted to practice some of the skills that I learned throughout the five-week intensive class. Between endless pasta, pizza, and pastries, I took pictures of the colorful environment, live entertainment, and different vendors throughout the crowded streets of Little Italy. By taking pictures of different places throughout the Cleveland area, I hope to pass along not only the environment and scenery of the particular subject matter, but also give the viewer a sense of the smells throughout the area, textures, tastes, and other more descriptive characteristics not usually conveyed by the average photograph.

Which leads me to my central interest: I have always enjoyed being creative. Whether it was making a birthday card for a friend, helping my mom cook a new recipe, or designing collages for my bedroom, I have always demonstrated an artistic passion. I still practice all of these childhood interests today, making personalized birthday cards, cooking and baking any new recipe I can get my hands on, and designing collages, posters, and brochures for others and myself.

In a few days I will continue to practice these interests as I begin my first full semester with Kent State University. I attended John Carroll University for the past two years as a Marketing major, but after taking three Visual Communication Design (VCD) courses with Kent last summer, I decided to further pursue their program and learn more about the growing field of design. I will be working toward earning degrees in both VCD and Managerial Marketing as I hope to combine the two areas of interest and someday work as a Graphic Designer while applying business knowledge to my projects. While change terrifies me, I anticipate my transfer not as a change but more as an enriching opportunity that will allow me to finally discover all of my capabilities.

Over the course of this semester I have two expectations of myself: remain positive throughout this new experience and grow as an individual. I could not be more thrilled to begin my internship with EY and share some of my interests with a broader range of individuals. I look forward to the months to come, and I am thankful for having the courage to engage in such great opportunities.

~ Kerry ~