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Clark State Alumna Tapped to Design New College Mascot: Emmett the Eagle

Clark State Alumna Tapped to Design New College Mascot: Emmett the Eagle

June 1, 2023

For Clark State College alumna Kate Blackburn, the eagle has come full circle…and landed.

The 2012 graduate attended her first classes at Clark State as a Tecumseh High School student enrolled in College Credit Plus (CCP) courses. She successfully earned an Associate of Arts in Graphic Design.

In 2015, Blackburn earned her bachelor’s degree from Franklin University in Columbus and landed her first full-time job as a graphic designer a few months after graduating. She is currently a Senior Graphic Designer at Orange Barrel Media and has taken the lead on Clark State mascot Emmett the Eagle’s redesign.

The newly designed logo follows the 2022 naming contest of Clark State’s eagle mascot plush where Emmett was chosen as the winning name.   The new mascot design will be a companion to the existing Clark State Athletic Eagle logo and will include both an eagle head and a full body design.  This new design will be incorporated into bookstore retail items, social media, and more. 

“As a student, I had performed with Clark State's Theatre Arts program for a few seasons and I ended up doing some design work for them - show posters, programs, etc.,” she said. “It's still early in the process, but the goal is to design a new version of Emmett the Eagle that will work alongside his existing design.”


Blackburn said she learned a lot about the industry and about the fundamentals of design at Clark State; knowledge she still uses over a decade later, and that she has passed along to junior designers as a mentor.
She said attending Clark State is a “smart move.” 

“You'll learn just as much as someone paying a fortune elsewhere, and you'll be just as hireable as they are,” she said. “But you'll have learned so much more by learning alongside people of all different backgrounds, all at different stages in their lives, all there for different reasons.”

The Clark State Graphic Design program is a two-year computer intensive learning experience focusing on industry-standard practices. Dedicated to keeping up with technological advances affecting the visual arts, the program integrates technology with fine arts sensibility. Students with little experience with computers should take special note of the "Academic Preparation" section.

Graphic designers develop a variety of visual communication solutions for clients including magazine, billboard and newspaper advertising, product packaging, brochures, brand development, catalogs, editorial graphics, book covers, and posters.

The Clark State graphic design program is offered at the main campus location in Springfield.

Media Contact

Lori Common Communications Coordinator

937.328.6086 commonl@clarkstate.edu