Matthew Busch Brings His Love of Print Full Circle
College expenses can be a nightmare, as most college students would agree. The average cost of tuition and fees in the United States for 2015 exceeded $32,000 according to CollegeData.com. And the cost can reach as high as $120,000 for graduate school, according to FinAid.org. So it makes sense the first thing a student would (and absolutely should) do after being accepted to college is start looking for any means possible to cut the cost of higher education.
For individuals interested in graphic communications, the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) offers the tuition and fellowship assistance young students need to help them attend school comfortably. PGSF dedicates itself not only to the financial assistance of students, but also functions to strengthen the graphic communications industry and reassure students that the multi-faceted industry is indeed growing.
When former PGSF recipient Matthew Busch decided to return to school to become a graphic arts teacher, PGSF’s assistance helped him achieve his dream of sharing his enthusiasm for graphic communications with younger generations.
Matthew’s interest in the world of graphic communications was kick-started by a “kooky” high school graphics teacher whose classroom inspired him to pursue graphic communications professionally. After learning all he could about printing and graphics and experiencing processes firsthand, his interest became a passion. Not long after, Matthew’s attendance at graphics summer camps and trade shows transformed that passion into a hobby. As a result, he later earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design.
However, as fate would have it, Matthew never fit in with the various industry jobs he tried. Finding himself constantly drawn back to education, he went into teaching. Still suffering from the debt accumulated from his undergraduate years, he discovered PGSF while searching for financial assistance for his master’s degree. After applying, he received several PGSF scholarship awards that made his journey possible. “I still have graduate loans I’m paying off … but it’s nowhere near as much had PGSF not been there for me,” he said. Now working at Enloe High School in North Carolina, Matthew’s dream of teaching graphics is now a reality thanks, in part, to PGSF.