HU Arizona Graduates First Animation Students

PEORIA, AZ. — Huntington University Arizona is pleased to announce its first animation graduates: Alexa Bland, Realiti Ibsen, and Kesmine Hickman.

HU Arizona added animation to its list of degree offerings in May 2017, and current and prospective students welcomed the program with enthusiasm. In the summer of 2018, Christian Washington, a 2013 graduate of HU’s Indiana campus, joined the HU Arizona team as the assistant professor of animation. His credentials and work experience added instant oomph to the young but growing program.

Of the three animation graduates, Washington was quick to say that “they're very hard workers and passionate artists, which has made them a joy to teach.”

During their time at HU Arizona, the graduates worked on a grand total of five animated films, including Bubble , which was featured in the Phoenix Film Festival, Tobeus and Tobey , which won Best of Fest at the National BEA Conference, and The Cactus Cat,  which was a semi-finalist at the Student Los Angeles Film Awards. They've also worked on a number of freelance projects through HU Arizona for companies including Theaterworks, AquaScooter, and the Maryvale Community School System.

Huntington University Arizona opened its doors in 2016, welcoming students seeking a degree in digital media arts. Since that time, students have created regionally and nationally awarded work, including ADDY awards, BEA Best of Fest awards, and Emmy Student Production Awards. The 30,000-square-foot building houses bachelor’s degree programs in animation, film production, broadcast media, and graphic design. The facility features film and TV studios, high-end computer classroom/labs, private editing suites, a state-of-the-art TV control room, a Foley pit, a host of EFP and cinema cameras, and lighting gear for student production work.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The nonprofit university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).