SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING ART (SAA)
Matthew Flick serves as vice president of education, creative director, and instructor at the School of Advertising Art, a graphic design college in Kettering OH/ He has nearly 20 years of industry experience as an award-winning art director, and has been teaching design courses for the past 13 years, including Graphic Design I and II and Portfolio Completion. Matt also leads curriculum development at the college. In the industry, his clients have included Titleist, FootJoy Worldwide, IMG Canada, PGA Tour professional Mike Weir, Duncan Seawall, and others. Matt’s work has received numerous awards by organizations including the American Advertising Federation-Dayton, the District Five Advertising Federation, the AIGA, the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts, and the Admissions Marketing Report. He has been awarded several Gold ADDY/Hermes design awards by the American Advertising Federation-Dayton and two Silver ADDYs from the District Five Advertising Federation. Matt was featured as one of GDUSA’s “People to Watch” in 2013, named a “Forty Under 40” up-and-coming regional leader by the Dayton Business Journal, and honored as Educator of the Year by the American Advertising Federation-Dayton twice in recent years.
HOW AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE EDUCATION A MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR CAREER?
While working in the design industry as an art director, a friend asked me to teach a college-level graphic design class. I hesitantly accepted the position, but quickly fell in love with the students. That was nearly 15 years ago. Every day I look forward to working with students who are inquisitive, passionate, and eager to learn. I not only get to teach them about design, I get the opportunity to see them grow into professionals and have a career doing something they love that helps them live a life they’ve dreamed about and worked hard to achieve.
IS THERE A SPECIAL CHALLENGE TO EDUCATING STUDENTS IN 2017 IN LIGHT OF TODAY’S POLITICS OR ECONOMICS OR TECHNOLOGY OR CULTURE OF THIS MOMENT?
Every year is different, and I recognize that each student is an individual with unique needs. It seems more students are facing significant challenges. Many have jobs while attending school full-time, most are away from family for the first time, and some have trouble coping with the stress of new responsibilities while juggling projects and deadlines. Others need reminded to think of their college education not just as the next step after high school, but as an opportunity and an investment. Education is like so many other things in life, “you get out of it, what you are willing to put into it.”
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