CFCC Graphic Design Grads Support the Wilson Center’s Creative Team

While national Broadway tours, concerts, and community performances take the stage at Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center, a creative team behind the scenes shapes how audiences experience every show. What makes the team especially unique is three of its marketing specialists are all graduates of CFCC’s Graphic Design program.

Josiah Nguyen, Class of 2024

Josiah Nguyen has always been creatively inclined, but it took time for everything to come together.

“I wanted the ability to create, but I also wanted something stable.”

Early semesters were challenging as he learned design principles, industry terminology, and the Adobe programs used throughout the field.

“At first, it was very daunting. I felt like I was doing the wrong things all the time.”

As the program progressed, Nguyen found his rhythm.

“They really allow room for experimentation,” he said. “You find out what programs you like and what kind of designer you are.”

An opportunity at the Wilson Center came while Nguyen was still a student, after Graphic Design Program Director Cable Hardin introduced the position as a class assignment. His work stood out, and what began as a potential internship quickly became a job offer.

Today, Nguyen creates illustrations, layouts, maps, signage, and branded materials seen throughout the Wilson Center, including lobby graphics and show series logos.

“It’s surreal when I see it out in the lobby and think, ‘I made that.’”

Gianna Decastri, Class of 2025

Like Nguyen, Gianna Decastri knew she wanted a creative career but was also looking for something practical and career-focused.

She points to the program’s foundation courses and animation instruction as skills she continues to use, along with the emphasis on feedback and meeting professional expectations.

“There was always something to improve on, and that feedback really mattered.”

At the Wilson Center, Decastri’s role changes day to day. She helps create social media content, designs posters and lobby banners, and produces graphics and videos for upcoming shows. Some projects involve working with assets provided by touring productions, while others allow for more original design.

“That’s one of the fun parts,” she said. “When there aren’t assets, you really get to be creative.”

Decastri is continuing her education at UNC Wilmington.

Jorge Rosales-Trochez, Class of 2025

For Jorge Rosales-Trochez, graphic design was the closest path to animation, his primary passion. As the first in his family to attend college, he entered the program with determination.

“Anything difficult will get easier over time,” he shared.

Animation and illustration were always central to his interests, especially during his work-study role assisting the graphic design program director. That experience provided him with additional opportunities to hone and refine his skills.

After graduating, Rosales-Trochez accepted a position at the Wilson Center, where he now focuses primarily on animation for digital displays and seasonal events. His workflow closely mirrors the critique-based environment he experienced as a student.

“I ask for changes, suggestions, and critiques all the time,” he said. “It’s just back and forth until it’s right.”

A self-described perfectionist, he has learned when to step back and move forward.

“At some point, you have to accept it and move on,” he said. “If you don’t, you won’t grow.”

Rather than chasing a single end goal, Rosales-Trochez focuses on steady improvement.

“My goal is to keep improving,” he said. “If you reach a goal and stop, you get stuck.”