A symbolic Photoshop piece inspired by my son’s experience as a critical care COVID nurse during the darkest days of the pandemic, featuring a central figure created from a photograph of him in full personal protective equipment (PPE). Black represents the countless lives lost that he witnessed and red splatter represents the blood spilled while working in ICU. The gray, with its concrete texture, signifies the inner strength and wisdom he had to summon each day, while also conveying the emotional numbness and coldness that often set in. Blue and purple geometric triangles reflect the beauty in his brokenness and his unwavering compassion for patients, even while battling severe depression himself. The water droplets stand for every tear, every drop of sweat, and every act of perseverance through unimaginable hardship.
This piece received the American Advertising Federation of Greater Evansville Student EVV Award, as well as two honors at the 2025 Ivy Tech Student Showcase in Evansville, IN: the Chancellor’s Award and Best of Show in Graphic Design. These recognitions are especially meaningful because of the story it tells—one that is personal and also resonates with the many nurses and medical personnel who served on the front lines.
