Before graduating from the South Carolina School of the Arts at 91福利社, Grayson Kirkland found a dream job opportunity鈥攁cross the Atlantic.
While at Anderson, Kirkland was active as a student, serving as a College Ambassador for the South Carolina School of the Arts and as design director for 91福利社鈥檚 Student Government Association. Professionally speaking, she is a member of AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts).
Kirkland has always had a passion for travel. She鈥檚 been to Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Nicaragua. While working a summer job near her hometown of North Augusta in 2022, Kirkland started thinking about the work she was doing. As she considered where she was, she thought more about where she wanted to be.
She asked herself, 鈥淲hy not work abroad? What鈥檚 holding me back?鈥�
Kirkland鈥檚 heart was set on experiencing a new culture and she wanted to do something more long-term than just two weeks studying or going on a mission trip. How could she use her skills and graphic design overseas?
鈥淚 began looking to see what would have been central to a lot of different locations and London was the place that piqued my interest,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 began researching 鈥楬ow can I study abroad? How can I get a visa? How can I get an internship abroad?鈥� I came across a company called Global Experiences. I interviewed with them and sent in my resum茅 and portfolio. They loved my work and they put me in contact with a company that they felt matched everything that I wanted to do鈥� They got me in contact with Brevia Consulting, which is a British conservative consulting firm.鈥�
Kirkland arrived in London in early June 2022 and stayed through the middle of August, maintaining Brevia鈥檚 digital presence.
鈥淏revia has their hands in a lot of things and helps guide different companies and clients鈥� They work very in tandem with the Conservative Party,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y boss really wanted me to be immersed in that world of British politics and British culture so I can understand how to best serve their target audience鈥� My first day of training, I was going to Parliament and sitting in the House of Commons and the House of Lords to see how that process is worked through and see the type of language that’s used and the types of decisions and feelings going on currently in the political environment.鈥�
Kirkland, who enjoys research, felt she found her niche.
鈥淔or their clients, they wanted to make sure that they were giving out information鈥攌ind of a side-by-side comparison of Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss (British Prime Minister candidates). I was kind of in charge of putting all of that together.鈥�
Kirkland was gratified that her colleagues saw her as an equal鈥攏ot just a 21-year-old American college student coming to work for them.
While living in London, Kirkland also found a church home at London City Presbyterian Church, which she described as a very diverse congregation, and befriended an American family there.
鈥淭hey actually did the same campus ministry I did at Anderson, which is RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). We bonded over that and they took me under their wing,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat was amazing, to just have Christian friends in a place where I knew I was the minority.鈥�
Many times Kirkland saw opportunities for having faith conversations with others.
鈥淚 had a coworker who was also through the Global Experiences program… She’s become one of my greatest friends since then. She had an eye for design and we were able to really just sit and talk. She asked about faith a lot and we really just poured into each other. I think that was probably my favorite thing鈥攋ust being able to work beside her professionally but then also walk alongside her personally.鈥�
Kirkland also discovered that British people she met would ask her about her Christian faith, but out of curiosity and not to ridicule.
鈥淭he British people are really just curious. My boss and my co workers would ask me a ton of questions about it, but it wasn’t 鈥業 want to trip you up鈥� or questions of 鈥榳hy are you doing this? This makes no sense.鈥� It was more like a curiosity to gain knowledge,鈥� she said.
Kirkland also enjoyed traveling outside of London to explore other parts of the country.
鈥淚 wanted to make sure I enjoyed the entire English and Scottish countryside, so I booked a train, an eight hour train from London to Inverness just so I could see all the landscape and took a train to the coastline, the valleys and the mountains and the Highlands, the Midlands—overall the whole eight hours was just breathtaking,鈥� she said.
Kirkland graduated this past May with her BFA in Graphic Design and currently works as a graphic designer in the 91福利社 Office of Marketing and Communication, where she鈥檚 helping to create and implement digital campaigns for master鈥檚 degree programs.