Meet Your Colleagues: DLT Learning Experience team
Ahigh school guidance counselor told John Warnock he “had zero chance of being a successful engineer” and “didn’t have a head for math.”
Imagine if Warnock, a University of Utah alum and cofounder of Adobe, heeded that advice. The company that brought the world PDFs and Photoshop might not exist.
The enduring impact of Dr. Warnock, who passed away in 2023, isn’t lost on the Adobe creative consultants at the U. Ask them what they find most rewarding, and they offer words like “legacy” and ideas like “paying it forward.”
Adobe Creative Consultants Olivia Etz, left, and Canyon Sargent speak with each other at Adobe Creative Commons in Kahlert Village on January 17, 2025.
“The U’s Multidisciplinary Design program is competitive, so I was super stressed out my freshman year. I sought out the advice of older students, so I like being able to give back now that I’m in the program,” said Adobe Creative Consultant Canyon Sargent, a member of the Learning Experience team in UIT Digital Learning Technologies (DLT).
Because Adobe Creative Consultant Olivia Etz remembers how hard it was getting into the Architecture Studies program, she appreciates “being able to tell freshman in the design foundations courses, ‘Hey, I’ve taken these classes, and I know what you’re going through.’ I can help them with the assignments because I’ve done them, too. It’s really amazing to see how excited they are for their journey and I like to help them with their portfolios along the way.”
A study booth in Adobe Creative Commons (photo courtesy of the University of Utah)
Mentoring “becomes a reciprocal connection,” said Holly K. Johnson, associate director for Digital Learning Innovation & Outreach, which oversees the Learning Experience team.
“Our students are forming friendships and connections, many of which will last a lifetime,” she said.
Based out of Creative Commons in Kahlert Village, Adobe creative consultants are part-time U student employees who specialize in providing students and faculty with general and application-specific Adobe software support (like helping students navigate changes to Adobe software licensing), guidance on digital design and basic podcasting, and event management, like hosting the second annual Winter Sports Film Festival on March 27, 2025.
“I like the problem-solving aspect,” said Creative Consultant Drew Dennison, who enjoys advising students on producing podcasts. “It’s fulfilling when I’m able to help someone. I always like to preface what I’m trying to teach by letting them know, ‘Look, I’m not perfect, and I’m still learning different tools, but I’d still love to help you any way that I can.’”
The team regularly leads workshops on topics like online portfolios, digital collages, story zines, copyright and intellectual property, and filmmaking. They also host “workshops in a box” — intensive sessions that focus on a particular Adobe tool like the mobile version of Adobe Express.
“Drew had a presentation on creating a presentation. It was very meta,” Sargent said.
Past “take-home” workshops have included sticker, postcard, and button making.
Adobe Express can be used to create vivid social posts, images, videos, and flyers (video courtesy of Adobe)
Their training is a culmination of hands-on experience and Adobe Digital Academy courses in which students earn official badges that they can share on LinkedIn, Behance, and their resumes. Collectively, Adobe creative consultants are proficient in Express, Animate, Acrobat, Media Encoder, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Portfolio, Lightroom, Bridge, and Premiere Pro.
Adobe Creative Commons, a multiuse space located on Kahlert’s first floor, opened in fall 2020 and is staffed for walk-in help from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday. Sargent gives a fun 40-second tour of the space on the team’s Instagram page.
“We’re a service point that has a really pivotal role in the success of students and faculty who need help creating assets for their courses,” said Tony Sams, Learning Experience team manager. “If we have someone here all the time during our published hours, people know they can rely on us and that this is the place for help.”
Johnson described the Adobe creative consultants as “curious and kind.”
Adobe Creative Commons is located on the first floor of Kahlert Village (Courtesy of the University of Utah)
“They’re skilled in teaching digital tools and genuinely enjoy learning from other students,” she said. “They have experienced juggling deadlines while balancing school, work, and personal time. They understand that something as simple as ‘hello’ and an offer of help can make a difference in the day of a student.”
Before Kelly Dam joined the team, she was an Adobe student ambassador (U students are invited to apply to join the program regardless of major, year, and skill set). Student ambassadors engage with Adobe professionals, connect with fellow ambassadors on campus and virtually across the U.S., and earn points for building Adobe skills that they can cash in for rewards.
“Working here, I’m able to tie those two together — taking what I learn from the ambassador program and applying it in the form of outreach to other colleges on campus,” Dam said.
While attending the U, team member Diya Mandot wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
“Everyone I work with is super accommodating and friendly. I’ve never been in such a nice work environment,” she said.
If you have any questions about Adobe Creative Commons, please email Sams at tony.sams@utah.edu.
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