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Jacqueline Hilliard earned a BFA in Graphic + Media Design at Russell Sage College in 2023, and in July 2024, she received a prestigious fellowship from Phi Kappa Phi — the country’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.
She was one of only 62 recipients nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship, and the first PKP fellow from Russell Sage since 2005.
While the fellowship will support her graduate studies, her undergraduate achievements at RSC helped her application stand out.
Hilliard is now pursuing an M.A. in Human-Computer Interaction at SUNY Oswego and anticipating a career designing visually appealing and easy-to-use websites, apps, games, and software.
Read more about her experience at Russell Sage and how it continues to shape her success in the following Q&A.
Is the Human-Computer Interaction field something that you were interested in when you began your BFA?
I’ve been into art and technology since I was a kid. I took so many art classes in high school that I actually ran out of them! By the end of high school, I started working more with digital art mediums, which opened up new methods of creative exploration and a technology-focused skillset. I heard that graphic design focused on this intersection of art and technology and knew that I wanted to dive deeper into the field.
Before RSC, I attended Fulton-Montgomery Community College. My advisor at FMCC recommended Human-Computer Interaction to me. My interest in combining art and technology to enhance my skill set made HCI a perfect fit.
What attracted you to Russell Sage for your Bachelor of Fine Arts degree?
Most of the colleges I was considering after I finished my associate degree wouldn’t transfer a bunch of my credits.
I mentioned this to one of my professors, who recommended Russell Sage, noting its excellent graphic design program and positive experiences from past students. When I checked out Sage, I found that it had a pretty seamless transfer process with FMCC and accepted the most credits by far. Additionally, the generous transfer scholarship covered most of my tuition, which made attending very affordable.
What experiences at Russell Sage were highlights?
The highlight for me was the relationships with professors and students.
Having the same professors across multiple classes allowed us to see them regularly and build great friendships with them; they were often understanding of our challenges and eager to help us overcome them.
I also spent a lot of time hanging out with classmates, brainstorming ideas, and supporting each other, which really helped with our work and built great friendships.
And I appreciated all the small events Russell Sage organized throughout the year. I often joined these events between classes on the Albany campus. My favorites were Bingo nights and the stuffed animal events. I still have the succulent plant Russell Sage gave out on Earth Day! These events were a fun way to take a break and added a lot of enjoyment to my time at Sage!
I still have yet to nab a plush Chompers from Sage. [Chompers is RSC’s friendly alligator mascot!]
How did Russell Sage prepare you for graduate school?
Sage helped me become more outspoken! Prior to coming here, I was a pretty shy kid who didn’t talk much outside of what was needed. However, the art department’s focus on regularly presenting and discussing our work — and the supportive and open environment — encouraged me to share my ideas and get feedback.
In my master’s program, I’m often engaged in collaborative projects that require presenting our work to professors and clients, and I’ve found that my experiences at Sage have significantly boosted my confidence and communication skills.
Your involvement with RSC’s active Phi Kappa Phi chapter meant you were eligible to apply for the PKP Fellowship, then your achievements at RSC helped your application stand out. Would you tell me about those achievements?
Yes! I was the salutatorian for the Class of 2023 with a 4.0 GPA and actively involved at Sage. I worked in the art department’s tech lab, designed for the DEI Heritage Coalition, and assisted with Opalka Gallery exhibitions and the Intercultural Cafe, which supports immigrants who are earning English.
I was also a silver recipient of the 2023 ADDY awards, which is the advertising industry’s largest competition, recognizing creative excellence.
My senior capstone project was showcased in the BFA exhibition at Opalka Gallery, and I presented my research for that project at Undergraduate Research Day.
Additionally, I represented Sage at the 2022 AIGA Design Conference in Seattle, where I volunteered and contributed to the event’s organization.
I heard about the fellowship from a Phi Kappa Phi email, and I asked professors Leah Rico and Sean Hovendick to be references. Their support was a big boost to my application! Additionally, Julie McIntyre, the PKP Sage chapter leader, was incredibly helpful.
What do you hope to do when you are finished with grad school?
I’ll be wrapping up both my Human-Computer Interaction degree and my Integrated Health Systems certificate by the end of this fall semester.
After I graduate, I hope to get a position as a UI/UX Designer where I can combine my design skills with user research to create aesthetically pleasing and functional designs that elevate how people interact with technology!