Digital Arts

Name: Jason Roeckle
Major: Digital Art and Multimedia Design
Graduation Year: Class of 2007
Occupation: Manager of UX engineering at The Walt Disney Company

Jason Roeckle is a 2007 alumnus from La Salle’s Digital Arts program. He is currently a manager of UX engineering at The Walt Disney Company.

Jason says that La Salle University’s Digital Arts and Multimedia Design program provided him with an amazing set of foundational skills involving creative problem solving and expression that he uses every day. While at La Salle, Jason feels that he learned life-long lessons and values. One of the most important values that he learned and that he continues to carry with him throughout his life is to “keep learning.” He says that being inquisitive and having an eagerness to explore will get you far in life. Jason believes that continuous learning is not only recommended but required in order to grow, especially in regard to a career in Digital Arts and technology. “Specifically, when it comes to software, never invest your career entirely into one language or framework. The more diverse your knowledge base is the more valuable you are.” Students should strive to learn new things and expand their knowledge because it can only benefit them. You can learn things everyday from the people around you and share them throughout your life. This perspective led Jason to create and enhance problem solving and other skills while at La Salle. These are skills he continues to improve upon and use even after graduating from La Salle. Another La Sallian value Jason carries with him is to help others. “I strongly believe we should all do what we can, when we can, to help the impoverished and marginalized.”

Currently, Jason works at The Walt Disney Company, a job he received when a recruiter from The Walt Disney Company reached out to him. In his position, Jason creates prototype applications for smartphones, websites, and television devices. These prototypes test out new ideas, designs, and features. “Most of our current projects are top secret, but you can see some of our work from the past in the DisneyNOW, ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic.” In his job with the Walt Disney Company, Jason embodies La Salle’s value of being inquisitive and eager to explore. He is always ready to learn new things and seek new information. He also encourages current students to explore new horizons and expand their knowledge. Regarding his own work, Jason says: “Our own organization recently released a new design for the National Geographic app. Download it, and check it out!”

Jason also provided some great advice to current students. When it comes to networking, Jason says that he tries to connect with as many talented people as possible. “I found this approach works well for discovering new opportunities.” When asked about what advice he has for students who are unsure of what they want to do in the future, Jason acknowledges that it is okay not to know. He says that most students are not sure what they want to do in the future and that it takes time to figure it out. “There’s no shame in that. Keep trying things, explore outside your comfort zone, and you’ll be surprised what you learn.” Overall, Jason advises students to keep learning. Whether students know what they want to do or are still trying to figure it out, he believes that students can grow and improve themselves with what they learn. Choosing to keep exploring shows a true strive for progress.

Name: Leo Manning
Major: Digital Art and Multimedia Design, Psychology
Graduation Year: Class of 2018 (May 2018)
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Late Night La Salle, Collegian, Campus Activities Center, Honors Program

What helped you decide on majoring in DArt?
I originally came in as a Psychology major, but during my first semester, I began to miss all of the graphic design work I did in my high school photography class. Then I declared DArt as my second major. After taking a bunch of the Digital Art courses, I realized that I was more interested in working as a graphic designer than as a therapist.

What is your favorite digital design medium/technique?
I’m a huge fan of using Adobe Illustrator with my Wacom tablet for most of my design work.

What was your experience in La Salle’s DArt Program like?
Instead of focusing on just graphic design, animation, or web coding, I learned a lot in each area, making me feel like a jack-of-all-trades. However, even though the program covers a wide range, I still feel as though I’ve learned a lot from each area and could work in multiple fields.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired?
A lot of my inspiration actually comes from other students in my major and seeing all of the work that they do. Seeing everyone else’s projects and hearing their thoughts helps me strive to work harder and get better.

What was your favorite class in or out of the program?
My top two classes were HON 374: Global London and CSD 340: Web Scripting. Global London was a travel study to London where we learned the history and the literature of the city and then traveled there to explore the city itself. Web Scripting was a coding class that was different because aside from creating useful code, it also allowed me to use the code to create something more artistic.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life?
I believe that the most influential member of the La Salle community on my life would be Mina Koller, the assistant director for campus activities. From my time working in the Campus Activities Center and for Late Night La Salle, I have developed so much as a designer, an artist, and a leader. Her constructive criticism on my flyer designs pushed me to create more original designs and try harder on any designs I create.

If you could have dinner with any three people at La Salle, who would they be?
Mina Koller (Assistant Director for Campus Activities), Professor Sandy Camomile (Digital Art and Multimedia Design), and Dr. David Falcone (Psychology).

How did La Salle help you prepare you for the future beyond college?
Primarily, La Salle helped me develop my design skills. The classes that I took provided me with opportunities to practice a variety of skills and to experiment with different ideas. In addition, my time working on-campus gave me invaluable experience working with clients in a real-world setting.

What is your advice to any high school students thinking about entering the DArt program at La Salle?
When entering the DArt program at La Salle, the main things that you need are passion and patience. The passion is what drives you to try your hardest on every project, while the patience helps you achieve what seems unachievable.