Student Spotlight

Behind every graphic and visual media component advertised by Rec Sports is an army of students honing their creative skills, be it in graphic design, social media, videography, or some other province.

Enter Sri Harsha Venkata ‘24, a master’s student studying construction management at Texas A&M University. The India-born Aggie moved to Texas to pursue his degree in 2022 but found a creative outlet in his graphic design and photography work with Rec Sports marketing. You can find many of his graphics scattered throughout the Rec and on Rec Sports social media accounts.

According to Venkata, employment with marketing is more than just a way to make ends meet; it’s a fun conduit to express his creativity for the university he loves and learn new skills that he otherwise would not learn in the classroom.

“Because of my schedule, the days that I work here, I don’t have any classes, so it’s kind of a switch off from academics, assignments, classes, projects, and everything. It’s a refreshing kind of thing, running the creative juices in my mind,” said Venkata.

In addition, working in the marketing suite affords Venkata a collaborative environment where he can support and learn from other student employees, enriching his creative worldview and working alongside Aggies with their own ideas and passions.

“It’s always a collaborative thing,” he said. “It’s not an individual working, it’s always collaborating, talking to each other, spending more time and thoughts on one thing. That definitely brings out not only the creative side of it but also fun side of ourselves, so that is what makes this job very fun to have.”

Already an accomplished graphic designer upon his arrival to Rec Sports, Venkata picked up a new skill in his tenure: photography. Where previously he merely arranged visual products in design software, at Rec Sports he learned to frame subjects in action as they occurred in real time, thereby expanding his horizon for the production of visual media to include the physical work that occurs before a computer is ever started. He’s photographed many large events for the department, including Rec-A-Palooza, Run for Recovery, and multiple Sport Club games, just to name a few.

“Run for Recovery – that is definitely one that I’m proud of because I could see the growth of my skills in photography, from the day I joined here and held a camera in my hand to the photos I take now,” Venkata said.

With his mastery of graphic design, newfound skills in photography, and passion for visual storytelling, Venkata has been instrumental in the delivery of marketing collateral for your favorite programs at Rec Sports, from Outdoor Adventures to Fitness & Wellness and everything in between, all while guiding his fellow Aggies in their projects and being a helping hand every step of the way.

Sri Harsha Venkata graduates in May 2024 with a master’s degree in construction management.