Graphic Designer · Public Relations

Oscar
Mendoza.

I design brands, editorial layouts and posters that tell a story, and I build the websites to show them off.

  • B.A. Graphic Design & Public Relations, Illinois State University · Class of Dec 2027
  • Based in Waukegan & Normal, Illinois
Open to design internships for Summer 2027
Portrait of Oscar Mendoza
01Who I am

Hi! How you've been? Here's a little about me.

I'm Oscar, a graphic designer based in the Midwest. I'm pursuing my bachelor's at Illinois State University, with a sequence in graphic design and public relations.

While I build on my foundation in design, I'm the Vice President of Marketing for ALPFA (the Association of Latino Professionals for America), leading the chapter's branding and outreach. Before that, I directed graphic design and social media for the American Marketing Association and was Creative Director for the Foxtail Film Festival. I care about brand recognition and storytelling, and I love designing innovative layouts for print and the web.

02Experience

Where I've designed.

  1. ALPFA · Association of Latino Professionals for America Vice President of Marketing
    Apr 2026 – Present

    I lead branding, outreach strategy and promotional campaigns to build brand recognition across all of the chapter's platforms, and I work with outside vendors on merch, advertising and promotional materials for recruitment.

  2. Foxtail Film Festival Creative Director
    Jan 2026 – May 2026

    I collaborated with the festival's other divisions to create assets that served every team, including the festival's bumpers.

  3. American Marketing Association · Illinois State Director of Graphic Design
    Dec 2025 – Apr 2026

    I shaped the chapter's visual identity, keeping every piece consistent and professional. I designed posters and handouts for the chapter's divisions, and worked with the Communications team on advertising to reach prospective members.

  4. American Marketing Association · Illinois State Director of Social Media
    Dec 2024 – Dec 2025

    I launched the chapter's Instagram, @amaillinoisstate, and designed graphics and stories to promote events, highlight members and strengthen community engagement. My posts reached up to 60k viewers across campus, and I partnered with student orgs like Women in Business to promote joint events.

  5. American Marketing Association · T-Shirt Competition Winning Designer
    2024 – 2025

    My Formula 1 themed shirt won the chapter vote. Members still wear it as a casual shirt outside of meetings. See the project →

  6. Jenene · Broadway Performer Website Designer (with Jim Lagger)
    Summer

    I researched how artists use their websites to reach new audiences and clients, then designed a homepage that welcomes visitors with footage from her shows, a section of upcoming shows fed by her ticketing service, and references from past clients like Britto.

  7. Sequin Magazine · Illinois State Graphic Designer
    Oct 2023 – May 2024

    I worked with writers to design layouts and pages that reflected their vision and each story's topic, and I created promotional materials that opened doors to future collaborations.

03By the numbers
60kViewers reached by my AMA Instagram posts
4×Viewership growth as AMA's Director of Social Media
1stPlace in the AMA T-shirt competition, 2024–25
04Skills

What I work with.

Adobe Creative Suite
  • Illustrator
  • Photoshop
  • InDesign
  • Lightroom
UI & Web
  • Figma
  • HTML
  • CSS
Social Media & PR
  • Content planning
  • Analytics
  • Copywriting
  • Public relations
What I make
  • Brand identity
  • Editorial layout
  • Posters
  • Apparel
  • Websites
05Beyond design

In my free time I listen to music across many genres, like Latin pop and hard techno. I go to music festivals, and I like going on adventures by myself (a.k.a. running errands).

Open to design internships for Summer 2027

Let's make
something together.

Email me LinkedIn ↗ Instagram ↗ Resume ↗