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🎓 Designers, you did the dang thing.
From sketchbooks to the stage — we caught your best angles (and a few happy tears).
Find your face (or your glowed-up cap), tag your studio family and revisit this massive milestone.
📸 Check out the full photo gallery from the COD’s Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony in our bio.
“It was such a big deal for me to come here. I never thought I was good enough. But I was a late bloomer.”
🎓 Big shoutout to Industrial Design senior Xzavier Taylor, representing the College of Design in @ncstate’s #NCState25 graduate stories roundup. From sketchbook to spotlight, he’s one of five grads reflecting on the journey that got them here.
📖 Read Xzavier’s story (and meet the other standout grads) at the link in our bio.
"This journey has never been a solo one."
Meet Valerie Ryba, who will be walking the stage with the designers of #NCState25 this week to receive her Bachelor of Architecture. 🎓❤️
"I came to architecture through the stories of my parents, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Hearing and seeing the housing conditions they experienced opened my eyes to the way entire communities can be left behind by systems meant to serve them. I saw architecture as a way to change that — to create spaces rooted in dignity, safety, and beauty for people who are too often overlooked.
Over time, my understanding of design deepened. I began to see the nuance — the tradeoffs, the complexity, and most importantly, the value of listening. That clarity was reignited in my current studio with Matt Griffith, whose approach to design — thoughtful, patient, and deeply human — reminded me why I fell in love with this work in the first place. It’s not just about building; it’s about creating meaningful, functional spaces that improve people’s lives.
This journey has never been a solo one. At NC State, I’ve been surrounded by incredible opportunities and communities that have shaped me. One of the most transformative experiences was pursuing the Outdoor Leadership Minor. The instructors and peers I met through that program helped me grow both personally and professionally. They taught me how to lead, how to listen, and how the outdoor world and the built world can inform and enrich one another.
The Caldwell Fellows program has been another grounding force. Through its emphasis on reflection, authenticity, and servant leadership, I’ve learned to move through this world with greater intentionality. The Caldwell community —students, mentors, and alumni — has offered me perspective and support through both uncertainty and growth.
Finally, I owe everything to the people who’ve walked beside me. To my family, whose sacrifices made this journey possible. To my friends, who reminded me to laugh and breathe. And to my partner, George — thank you. Your steady belief in me, especially on the hardest days, carried me through. You’ve been my rock and my joy."
We’re mourning the loss of Professor Vince Foote — a legendary designer, mentor, and educator whose 40-year teaching career at NC State shaped generations of design thinkers.
Vince wasn’t just an outstanding teacher (though he had the awards to prove it). He was a force — hilarious, unshakable, and deeply invested in the success of his students.
As Professor Audrey Barnes put it: “He empowered generations of NC State design students to believe that not only we could be, but that we should be the leaders of the future. That our ideas mattered regardless of who we were or where we came from.”
To Vince, students weren’t just learners — they were his legacy. As he liked to say, “You are my portfolio.”
And his portfolio? It’s full of bold thinkers, mavericks, educators, leaders and friends who carry his lessons with them every day.
We invite our community to read more about Vince’s life and lasting impact at the News link in our bio. And if you`re ever near Player’s Retreat, raise a glass for him.
