Briana Palacios

Andy Warhol said that everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes.

If that is correct, then Briana Palacios' is planning for her moment in the spotlight.

"I know I'm going to do something great," the 21-year old Lorain County JVS Web & Graphic Design Program graduate said.

Palacios has been entertaining many ideas for her future, including plans for a career in television or broadcasting.

"My dream is to walk the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards, interviewing movie stars and celebrities," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'd also like to create and host my own talk show geared toward showcasing positive role models for teenage girls."

Palacios was a student at Amherst-Steele High School before embarking upon her studies at the JVS.

"I've always been very artsy and learn better by 'doing,' as compared to sitting and listening to someone lecture," stated Palacios. "The JVS is a place where your education is very 'hands-on' and you get many opportunities to apply the skills you learn to the real world. There's no doubt these are some of the reasons I was such a strong student."

"I like working with computers, and I was excited about integrating design technology with my own ideas," said Palacios, who enjoys working with Photoshop and film animation.

"My JVS instructors said that there are no dumb questions, and believe me, I asked a lot of questions," Palacios said, laughing. "I was there to learn. I was always testing myself, pushing above and beyond my expectations."

Palacios efforts paid dividends and included being invited to join the National Technical Honor Society where she was rewarded for her excellent grade point average, decision-making, career planning and community service.

She was also involved in a leadership role with the Business Professionals of America (BPA), one of several very active career-technical student organizations at the JVS.

Her outstanding academic achievement earned her the opportunity to participate in a cooperative work experience during her senior year. Palacios worked at Emerge Inc., a website development company in Elyria, from September through June. The co-op program allowed her to earn a paycheck and school credit while getting on-the-job training.

"I wrote and edited news stories and posted updated information to the company's website," she said. "I also worked with the web designers, creating icons and other graphic elements for some of the projects they were working on."

Palacios knows that her decision to attend the JVS was the best decision she could have made, but she admits that she took some flak from her classmates. "Some of them thought I was going to a school for drop-outs," she said.

"Let's just say I'm an example of how wrong they were, and how wrong this perception of the JVS is," she continued.

Palacios not only graduated at the top of her class, but completed her Associate Degree from LCCC in 2011 and is working full-time at Thogus Products in Avon Lake while studying for her Bachelor's Degree in Communications at Cleveland State University.

Palacios considers her current job in accounts receivable at Thogus Products as "a foot in the door." She believes that her design background, combined with her current studies in communications and marketing at Cleveland State, will bode well for her future.

"I know my employer is happy with my work ethic and skills," said Palacios, who was promoted to full-time after only two weeks of part-time work. "They were amazed at how fast I learned their system."

"They told me to push myself to find my niche, and I'd find something that I'd enjoy doing everyday," she said.

Stay tuned.