Through my 40-minute sit-down with Brooke Renfro, I quickly learn that the classroom at Okaw Vocational Center is more than rows of computers and Adobe software—it’s a place where students discover that creativity is not just a hobby but a career path. Brooke knows this firsthand. She grew up in Vandalia, took the same program she now teaches, and turned it into a life’s work in graphic design.

“I teach Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and we do a lot of fun projects along with that,” she explains. Her Graphic Design program is open to juniors and seniors, and this year she has a full class of 16, the maximum number her lab can hold. These students come from as many as seven different high schools, giving the room a mix of perspectives and experiences. “They want to be there,” Brooke says. “That’s what makes it so exciting.”

Her lessons aren’t confined to theory. Students design logos, create marketing pieces for local businesses, and even screen print T-shirts on the press in the classroom. The projects connect them to real clients and real deadlines. One former student even worked her way through college at a screen-printing shop, building on skills first learned under Brooke’s guidance. Today, she’s a graduate student at Saint Louis University, thriving in the field she discovered back in high school.

Brooke is intentional about how she prepares students for a world where technology is constantly reshaping the landscape. Artificial intelligence is just one example. “I try to teach my students to use AI as a tool. It’s great for mockups and starting points, but I want them to expand on that with their own creativity. Every student should walk out with a style that’s uniquely theirs.”

That philosophy is deeply rooted in her own journey. She remembers being one of just two students interested in design when she was in the program herself. With little formal instruction available, her teacher handed her a book and told her to figure it out. Brooke did—and that self-starting spirit landed her a job at 19 with McLeod Publishing in Effingham, where she was reformatting Yellow Pages ads in the then brand-new Adobe Illustrator software. From there, she worked in embroidery and commercial design in Springfield before returning home.

Coming back to Vandalia wasn’t just about geography. It was about community. “When I moved away, it was a culture shock. In Springfield, you don’t have the same personal connections you do here. Back home, you know everybody. Those connections matter,” she reflects. It’s a lesson she now passes on to her students: building relationships is just as important as building a portfolio.

Her approach to teaching is both technical and philosophical. She critiques with a designer’s eye—whether it’s a student project or even the Journey12 logo—which she happily took on. She notices details like kerning, balance, and flow. But beyond design mechanics, she wants students to trust their instincts and pay attention to how visuals make them feel. “Even if you can’t name it, you know when something looks off. My job is to help students figure out why—and then fix it.”

For Brooke, the classroom is about more than producing polished graphics. It’s about giving young people permission to imagine a life where creativity isn’t stifled but celebrated. “I didn’t go to school to be a teacher,” she admits. “I went to school to be a graphic designer. But a byproduct of that is getting to inspire these kids.”

In her words, she wants them to “keep it yellow, not gray”—to live vibrantly, embrace creativity, and carry that spirit into whatever path they choose. And in Vandalia, Brooke Renfro is making sure they do just that.