From left are LCC GAIT Program Chair Dwight Downie, GAIT Instructor Dr. Hope Carroll, GAIT student Greg Harris and Rick Proffit of NAPCO. Submitted photo

Three students in the Lenoir Community College Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology (GAIT) program were awarded top honors in this year’s student competition for printing and graphics. Kaeson Johnson, Greg Harris, and Jason Swain received awards in multiple categories.

Greg Harris of Kinston won the top collegiate award for his digital printing and design of a “Bird Lovers” calendar. The top collegiate award is presented by NAPCO, a packaging company located in Sparta in northwestern North Carolina and comes with a $500 scholarship presented to the students and a $500 donation to support the Graphic Arts program.

The NAPCO award was recently presented during the 53rd annual Printing Industries of the Carolinas (PICA) Awards Banquet in Charlotte. PICA is the regional trade association for printing in North and South Carolina. They offer member companies opportunities to access value-added resources and services designed to assist them in being more effective, efficient, and profitable in their business.

Every year, PICA sponsors the PICA Student Awards competition where students can submit designed and produced entries across multiple categories to win recognition in Best of Category, Special Judges Award, and the Award of Excellence.

This year, LCC graphics students competed against North and South Carolina community colleges and universities, including Appalachian State University, Chowan University and Clemson and were awarded seven awards with four Best of Category, two Special Judges, and an Award of Excellence, in addition to the top collegiate award.

Intsructor Dr. Hope Carroll said of her winning student, “Greg is a highly motivated student who takes on a design problem with focused initiative and always produces impressive results. Greg’s work in the classroom stands out among his peers and his work on this winning project deserves the top award.”

The GAIT program is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills necessary for employment in the printing, publishing, packaging, and related industries. Students receive hands-on training in all phases of graphic arts including graphic design; computer graphics; web design; digital photography, and printing technologies.

The GAIT curriculum is a two-year Associate in Applied Science degree program and offers day, online, and hybrid classes. To learn more about the Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology program, or if you have any questions, contact Dwight Downie at 252-527-6223, Ext. 604 or email ddownie@lenoircc.edu.