World champion medal for 2D Animation

"It's such a fun, collaborative environment, and I have an end result that showcases everything I have learned."

It has been quite the summer for Francis Tuttle Technology Center student Kayla Crossen-Zawila.

After completing the first year of the 2D Animation and Character Design program, she heads into her second with two medals from Adobe Certified Professional competitions.

And one of them makes her a world champion.

"It didn’t quite hit me at first," she said. "I don’t think I fully believed it until I got on the plane home."

Crossen-Zawila won the gold medal at the Adobe Certified Professional World Championship in Orlando, Florida. Her poster design stood out among those submitted by competitors from 36 countries.

Just a few weeks prior, she had won a silver medal at the national Adobe Certified Professional competition, also held in Orlando. 

"It’s wild," she said. "They lined up all of the completed posters outside of the room, so I could see them all. I thought, hopefully, I would at least get in the top 10."

Crossen-Zawila, an Edmond Memorial High School graduate, entered the Adobe competition at the suggestion of her 2D Animation instructor, Kristen Harris. Contestants had to submit previous work, so she sent in a training card design she created in class.

Initially, Crossen-Zawila said she came to Francis Tuttle to attend the Computer Science Academy. But after seeing what kind of work was done in 2D Animation, she decided to switch programs for her senior year.

"I love to draw, and I had seen a lot of work done by good animators online," she said. "Animation has given me a really great knowledge of storytelling. It’s such a fun, collaborative environment, and I have an end result that showcases everything I have learned."

After one more year in the program, Crossen-Zawila plans to attend the University of Colorado. She will pursue a degree in Creative Technology and Design.