Graphic Design Students Attend the National Student Show and Conference

NSSC: A Tradition of Excellence and Inspiration by Genaro Solis Rivero, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design 

The National Student Show and Conference (NSSC) is a well-known and recognized three-day event that celebrates and supports the next generation of creative professionals. It features a national design competition, awarding $20,000 in scholarships and prizes, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, portfolio reviews, networking, and tremendous camaraderie among professionals, educators, and students.

For many designers, the NSSC is a reunion, a strong tradition for others; for my Baylor Bears, it was their second time attending the National Student Show and Conference. This year, the NSSC celebrated its 20th anniversary and exceeded all expectations.

Day One: Studio Visits

The first day in Dallas began with an engaging session at Clampitt Paper, where students enjoyed all the available educational materials, paper samples, and swag.  Energized students from various universities visited prominent design studios and agencies, including White Unicorn Agency, Blanks Printing, and TRG Agency. Meeting industry professionals and seeing student work displayed was incredibly rewarding. The world is a tiny little box full of surprises. In one of the studio tours, some of our Baylor students had the opportunity to meet and chat with the managing partner of White Unicorn Agency—a Baylor alumnus who helped to break the ice and quickly connected with our students.

Day Two: Portfolio Reviews and Keynotes

Day two featured portfolio reviews, keynotes, and workshops. Students received advice, eagerly participated, and even received free Fossil watches while learning the ins and outs of in-house design teams. Keynote speakers included Diego Guevara from Nike and Natalie from Funsize, who shared incredible insights.

Friday night was a big night for our Baylor bears; with great anticipation and excitement, Friday’s activities ended with the NSSC’s Pin and Special Awards ceremony for 2025. Four students were finalists with eight powerful design pieces; however, CJ Kaltwasser set a very high bar while bringing home—not one, two, or three—but four Special Awards and beautiful limited-edition commemorative trophies temporarily displayed in the graphic design hall cabinets. CJ’s work was honored with a Best of Advertisement for Public Service Award (PSA) and a Best of Advertisement (Print) award. In addition, he also won Brandon Murphy’s [Caliber Creative] Judge Choice Award and Jeff Barfoot’s Best Concept Award, each accompanied by a $500 scholarship. A fantastic night with unprecedented results for Baylor University and the Department of Art and Art History.

Day Three: Workshops and Panels

The final day included workshops, an emerging creatives panel, and keynotes. Zipeng Zhu shared his expertise in design and animation, while the Collins Agency presented its approach to branding and storytelling. The keynotes, workshops, and creative panels all reinforced industry practices and gave students huge insights into their future careers.

Takeaways

Attending NSSC was reaffirming and inspiring for our Baylor students. Some key takeaways include:

1. Designers have a bright future if they embrace technology and remain curious.
2. Reinventing oneself is essential for designers.
3. Strong concepts are key to memorable design.
4. Design can change the world.
5. “Design is too legit to quit.”

This experience was made possible by the support of volunteers, designers, business owners, and the outstanding leadership of the Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC) and the National Student Show and Conference (NSSC). 

Our students and Graphic Design faculty, Professor Virginia Green and Assistant Professor Genaro Solis Rivero are equally grateful to Baylor University Office of Engaged Learning for their generous support and for making this incredible experience possible for nine graphic design students; recipients of a URSA mini travel grant, and equally grateful to our Department Chair, Heidi J. Hornik, Ph.D., for her leadership and immense support.

Some Images and Student's Thoughts from the Event - Click to Enlarge and Scroll Through Images