Meet Your Instructor
Email: mabril@collegeofthedesert.edu
Zoom Virtual Office Hours: TBA
Inbox: Use the INBOX link to messages in the main Canvas navigation (located under the Calendar link) to contact me directly.
Hello,
I'm Mari Abril and I will be your instructor for this online course. Originally from San Diego (Chula Vista), I now call the Coachella Valley my home. I once won a bottle of champagne for determining the time my flight to Hawaii would arrive at the halfway point. Once a tap dancer, softball player, and nunchaku master. The most important people in my life are my husband George and my two daughters Solar & Ella. I am an educator, designer, friend mother, wife, and human.
I graduated from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) with a BFA in Visual Communication and a Minor in Marketing. I have a Master's of Science degree in Information Technology from Capella University (online) as well as a Master's of Arts degree in Advertising & Design from Syracuse University.
My first online experience was creating my portfolio website in 1993 using Mosaic which became Netscape and eventually Firefox. Illustrator was the first Adobe software I worked within 1989 followed by Photoshop. Back then there were no manuals and no online classes to teach us. I also use WordPress, Adobe Dreamweaver, and Adobe Premiere. I use these applications in my professional design work.
My design company, Abrilmedia Links to an external site., began in 1994 and has provided design services to a variety of clients such as; Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, St. Mary's Medical Center, SCAN Health Plan, McDonnell Douglas, Serra Project, Farnell Electronics, Jewish Family Service of the Desert, Foothill AIDS Project, Project New Hope, Kaiser Permanente, and others.
I have been teaching online and face-to-face college level courses since I graduated from CSULB and have been here at College of the Desert in the Digital Design & Production (DDP) department since 2014. My expertise is in the Adobe Creative Suite and Graphic Design.
I am looking forward to a great semester with you!
~ Professor Abril
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