CAST Alumni Spotlight: Paola Cano

“While attending CAST, I had the opportunity to be in a high school that prepared me both for university and for the professional world, teaching me important traits that would help me succeed in my career, such as professionalism, hard work, and networking skills,” Paola Cano, CAST Tech ‘22, reflected on her time at CAST and how it has positively impacted her. A recent graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, Paola was able to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Illustration in three years, thanks to the dual credit opportunities she had as a CAST Tech student.

At Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Paola was able to pursue her passion for illustration. Her degree program concentrated on concept art for animation and games, which allowed her to grow her skills as an artist. Furthermore, throughout college, Paola worked on multiple independent animated and live action films in which she collaborated with fellow artists to create a variety of concept art, keyframes, and promotional art. Paola’s work can be seen in films including Into the Blue, Cansandro, and Pain D’Epices. Additionally, while at SCAD, Paola completed a graphic design internship with the company Take 5 Car Wash where she assisted a team of fellow students to help create visual assets for the brand and coordinated with art directors.

Among her many achievements since graduating from CAST Tech in 2022, Paola shared that her biggest accomplishment is her development as an artist. Attending SCAD enabled Paola to better develop her technical skills in both traditional and digital art. Furthermore, she was able to learn a variety of new techniques and software to help improve her creative process. Overall, the environment at SCAD allowed Paola’s creativity to flourish as she was immersed in a culture of exploration and surrounded by fellow passionate artists who positively influenced her.

Paola plans to pursue a career in concept art for videogames and film. She aspires to be part of the “creative pipeline” to bring entertainment to audiences and immerse them into new stories and visuals. When asked what advice she would give to current CAST students, Paola advised that students should follow their passions. “Passion fuels perseverance and pushes you to keep on going in order to make an impact on yourself and the people around you.”