Portfolio Day is one of the most anticipated traditions at the Digital Corps. Each spring, the event brings together students, staff, and alumni for a full day of showcasing work, professional development, and celebrating growth.
The morning opened with portfolio rotations, where underclassmen filled the room with resumes, laptops, and printed pieces displaying their creative work. Alumni and staff made their way around the room while students practiced talking through their projects in a professional setting. Students also got to see what their peers across different teams have been creating, which gave them a chance to celebrate each other’s hard work!
For some students, this was their first time participating in Portfolio Day – a milestone that comes with feeling pressure and excitement. Design Team Apprentice Lori Atkinson shared what she gained from her first Portfolio Day.
“I had talked to a Design Alumni and a Comm Alumni, and they stopped to view my portfolio, and the design alum had talked to me about the concept of focusing on the creative side of my job and my passions and letting that show through the work that I do. Having a casual conversation with two people who are in the field that I want to go into meant a lot to me, because it felt like there was less pressure for me to present and more of an opportunity for me to showcase who I was as a designer.”
Following portfolio rotations, Seniors gave ten-minute presentations. This gave graduating students the chance to reflect on their journey of college and their time at the Corps. Communications Team Master Kenzie Gamlin delivered an emotional presentation sharing the highlights and challenges from her nearly three years at the Digital Corps.
“It was a bittersweet day. I almost cried every time I presented it. I stuck my Corps experience at the end, and I had to look everyone in the eyes. I was thinking I’m gonna miss everyone so much. But I was also just really excited because there’s alumni there and people that I haven’t seen in a while, so I was super excited just to be around them.”
In the afternoon, alumni took part in team-specific panels. For example, the Communications Team alumni met in a room and answered all current team members’ questions. Students asked about job hunting, early career challenges, and how to navigate life post-grad. The conversations were encouraging and showed students that the community the Digital Corps builds extends beyond graduation.
The day concluded with a keynote from Video Team alumni, Jana Lowery. She gave advice on how to find a job and create a work–life balance post–grad. Jana also explained how her Video Team experience at the Corps is still useful in her career today. Her presentation tied the day together and emphasized how the skills learned at the Digital Corps continue to matter long after students leave campus.
Portfolio Day 2026 highlighted the creativity and community that make the Digital Corps a great environment. The day left students inspired by their peers and further built a community dedicated to helping them grow as professionals!
