Q&A with Jamiel Moss: Graphic Design and Interactive Media Program Valedictorian

The 2017 program valedictorian for the Graphic Design and Interactive Media program, Jamiel Moss, was enrolled in the Graphic Design and Interactive Media program at from October 2015-September 2016. Prior to attending Toronto Film School, he completed his degree at the University of Guelph, where he graduated in the Marketing Management program. Alongside his ability to create graphics and understand the theory behind marketing, Jamiel thrived throughout his time at Toronto Film School, achieving Honours and Presidents list in each semester. After completing this program, Jamiel dived into the industry and is employed at Elite Digital Agency. Outside of the school and work world, Jamiel is an avid sports fan, who enjoys following the TV series Suits and spending quality time with his friends and family. He is a leader, a motivational individual and as program valedictorian leaves you with this message: “Don’t ever have any doubt in yourself. Always believe YOU CAN. No matter how hard life may be, don’t quit, keep preserving and keep your head up! Remember your time at Toronto Film School, you finished a rigorous program when others couldn’t … you really can achieve anything you put your mind to!”.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from? What are you passionate about?

My name is Jamiel Moss, I am 24 years old and from Caledon Ontario. A couple of years ago, I would not see myself as a designer, but after going on this path at TFS my passion for design has not only been born but grown immensely. Each and every day I enjoy learning to further develop my skills.

What brought you to Toronto Film School?

I heard about Toronto Film School from a family friend whose daughter attended the school and said great things about it. I then looked into the school and everything it had to offer sounded great and the fact that you learn so much from industry professionals in 1 year really stood out to me.

Why did you choose the Graphic Design and Interactive Media Diploma at Toronto Film School?

Prior to attending Toronto Film School, I went to the University of Guelph for the Marketing Management program. I chose the Graphic Design and Interactive Media program at TFS because it would teach me the visual side of Marketing.

Why do you think you were chosen as the valedictorian for your program?

I believe I was chosen as Valedictorian for my program because everything I brought to the table. I made an impact in the classroom with my voice, always questioned my teachers in order to learn more, and always said hello and chatted with faculty around the school. I took school seriously and put my full efforts forward and I guess that was seen by the faculty.

If you offered one piece of advice to an incoming student, what would that be?

To challenge yourself. You’re paying a lot for your education so make it worth while. Challenge yourself to do the best you can and challenge your teachers with questions for yourself to learn more, this will all help you grow your skills.

What is one of the most important things you have learned/experienced at Toronto Film School?

One of the most important things I learned at TFS was to make sacrifices. Commuting from Caledon took me around 1:30-2 hours per way so I would sacrifice sleep or social time to stay on top of my work since I was loosing a few hours each day to travel to and from school.

What kept you motivated?

I love to learn and I enjoyed what I was learning so I stayed motivated to learn more each and every day to hone my skills. At the end of the day, the more you can get out of your learning the more appealing you will become to employers, so it’s all worth it.

What are your plans after graduation?

My plans are to continue learning and grow my skills to make an impact in the work world. I am interested in videos (motion graphics and filming) and would like to work more in this area. Currently, I work at a Marketing Agency, Elite Digital as an interactive graphic designer.

What made Toronto Film School and your experience here special?

What made Toronto Film School special was the hands on experience you get, the smaller class sizes, which allows you to build more of a relationship with your classmates and teachers, as well as the fact that all the teachers currently work in the industry.

If someone asked you to describe Toronto Film School to them, what would you say?

Toronto Film School is not just a Film school, they offer many programs and speaking on behalf of the graphic design one, it was great. You are able to be in smaller classes, where you receive more help from your teachers. The teachers help guide you to be an industry professional once your program is finished and they all work in the industry, which is great because they can give you many insights into the industry which also helps prepare you.