By Kendra Roberson

My name is Kendra Roberson. I am from Rocklin, Calif., and studied Graphic Communication at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (go Mustangs!). After graduating in June 2025, I am now working as an Account Specialist at L+L Printers in Carlsbad. I am one of the first few employees here in this new hybrid like position, where we both gather clients and manage those projects and accounts.

So, how did I get here?

Well, I have always been creative. For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in crafts, and hands-on projects. Even to this day, I hand make almost all of my Christmas, birthday gifts and cards. I always have some type of creative hobby, even though it switches often, like painting, sewing, crocheting, ceramics— basically any thing hands on. The sparks really went off for me in high school, during open house. The high school I attended, Whitney High School, had an awesome graphic design program, and my mom encouraged me to apply. I ended up being a part of this program for three years, I became a TA, and even have gone back after high school graduation to present to the high schoolers about what I am studying in college. We got to design everything from spirit wear, theater posters, sports schedules, to prom invites. Seeing your own design come to life and having it plastered all around campus, or on everybody’s T-shirt at football games was very rewarding.

Still, I wasn’t sure if graphic design was really my “thing.” I was good at it, but definitely not the best, and having to be super creative and pump out the best designs every day was very intimidating. When I was looking at colleges, I discovered Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication program, or GrC for short. I had never heard of it before, and did some research. You study the entire process, from design, to marketing, and production. It was also the only program of its kind on the West Coast, and its ranked pretty highly in the entire nation, so I decided to go all in. Basically, it was either GrC at CalPoly or staying at home and going to junior college before transferring in.

From day one at Cal Poly, I became involved in the GrC family, or as we call it, “the pod.” The GrC department does such an amazing job at getting all students involved, and very few of my other friends in other majors had a similar experience to mine. There are endless ways to get involved, clubs, student-run organizations, advisory board members who actually reach out and want to help, internships, opportunities to attend conferences, and so so much more. I ended up getting involved with TAGA (Technical Association of the Graphic Arts), where I was able to work on small components of the technical journal that this team fully produced, from gathering technical research papers, designing and publishing the book, to producing the copies of book and presenting them at the annual conference. This experience led me to building more personal relationships with professors, and opened up the doors for me to get invited to conferences. I remember being so nervous to attend my first conference, ePS Connect, in Las Vegas. Walking into a large room full of industry professionals, and really trying hard to introduce myself to as many people as possible and starting up random conversations about their companies, products, or experiences. I also met WhatTheyThink here, as Jeff White from PGSF introduced me to Eric Vessels, who then wanted to interview me for one of their vlogs. This conference really opened up the doors for me and began the soon-to-be flourishing of my networking connections. Everybody always says that the print industry is super small, and I have learned how true that statement is.

Throughout college, I continued to attend events like TAGA conferences, PRINTING United, and even drupa in Düsseldorf, Germany, which to say was mind-blowing would be an understatement. Seeing the equipment in person, how many companies and industries were connected to this industry, and all of the new innovations coming into the game made me realize how big and fast-moving this industry really is. Conferences like these gave me the professional confidence, mentorships, and support to continue my journey and find where I fit into this field. [Read Kendra’s—and other Cal Poly Students’ impressions of drupa here. —Ed.]

Back on campus, I became a project manager at University Graphic Systems (UGS), a student-run print shop led by 10 student managers. This role was really a game-changer for me, I learned how to manage client expectations, build estimates, schedule and complete jobs, and—my least favorite part—ordering toner. I realized I didn’t need to be the person designing every piece, and that I had my own strength in finding creative solutions that could bring those ideas to life efficiently and beautifully.

As graduation loomed, I was constantly thinking about post-grad and doing everything I could to set myself up for success. Because the printing industry is mostly an older industry, I luckily did not experience the lack of job demand like other graduating students were facing. I spent months contacting everybody I could—all the networking connections I made at conferences, meeting with professors or advisory members, and even cold-messaging people on LinkedIn. I think I had a good two to three months where I had at least three calls a week with some type of industry professional. By the time the career fair came around, I had narrowed my options down to a few companies. In the end, I trusted my gut, and chose L+L Printers. I admire their commitment to hiring younger talent and constantly finding new ways to improve operations, listen to new ideas, and provide an encouraging and educational place for the future generation of print professionals. The company is on the smaller side, which I like because I am able to have a personal connection with all members of the team, and the production floor is connected to the front offices, allowing seamless communication and transparency from sales to management to production. Plus, San Diego isn’t a bad place to live and work!

Now, I am a few months into my new role, and I am already beyond grateful for my education and experiences that Cal Poly, and other mentors, and industry professionals, who have helped me on this journey, have allowed me. Print has its own vocabulary (4-up, duplex, PSM, GSM, you name it!), and I am lucky that I already am semi-fluent in this language. Transitioning into a workflow system and technology is already a challenge, but I am not starting from scratch, just expanding on my prior knowledge.

If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that ambition, curiosity, and willingness to put yourself out there (no matter how scary it seems at the time), matters just as much, if not more, than technical skills. I encourage all students to ask questions, attend industry events, and introduce themselves to somebody unfamiliar.

For print companies looking to hire the next generation, the upcoming graduates hold so much potential! It may be hard to have students interested in print, so attend career fairs, offer internships, or join an advisory board. If you want to hire somebody from my generation, my biggest advice is this: culture and opportunity matter. We’re not expecting success to be handed to us…we know it takes hard work, and we’re willing to put it in. What we are looking for is a place where we belong, where our ideas are valued, and where there’s a path to growth.

As the industry evolves and grows, it needs fresh voices and ideas more than ever. I am eager to contribute mine and advocate for others to be given the same chance.