Editor's Note — This is part of a weekly student conversation series highlighted as part of Black History Month on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Medium page. The series will feature students who are making impacts on campus and hope to maintain that momentum in future careers.

his week, we are featuring Da’Von George, a graphic design major from Omaha. He hopes to use involvement on campus and in the community to become a positive role model for others.

How did you choose your major?

I chose Graphic Design as a major because growing up I’ve always loved art. Along with that, this major incorporates technology in the practice. Lastly, Graphic Design has paths to cartoon design, fashion design, image sketches and other fields!

What are you passionate about?

This is a tough question, as I am passionate about a lot of things. To keep it short, one of my biggest passions is personal growth. This is really important to me because I want to be happy with the person I am, and ultimately meet the potential I know that I have within myself.

How are you making an impact on campus and/or in the community?

I feel as if I’m making an impact on campus a couple of different ways. The first is obviously that I am taking steps to help my community thrive and unite. Whether that looks like planning events for our Black student body, getting involved in other organizations, or simply discussing personal well-being with other students. Next, I feel like some of my impact lies within my image. Certain parts of my identity are easy to identify with, so if younger people see someone like me on campus in my position, it could inspire them to get more involved.

What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

Something I want to accomplish in my life is becoming a positive role model. It is important for young people to have a strong role model in their communities, and I want to be that influence for the people around me.

What or who inspires you?

My biggest inspiration in my life is my father. He is an excellent example of what I want to be as I grow older. He is a man with a strong moral compass, family-orientated, smart, driven, funny, and many more amazing things. Every day I learn something new from him, and my admiration of my father’s character is what influences me to adopt similar principles.

What is your advice to other students looking to make an impact?

Don’t copy someone else’s blueprint! Be original, intentional, and authentic in your actions, and creating an impact will come naturally. Also, creating an impact doesn’t always look the same. There are multiple ways that a person can make a mark on their community, it doesn’t have to be to the same degree as the next person.

Craig Chandler | University Communication

Da’Von George checks his phone while resting in the grass outside of the Woods Art Building before his photography class on the first day of the fall semester.