A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Elizabeth Seifert

When Elizabeth Seifert’s name was called as the gold medalist for advertising design at the National SkillsUSA Conference in Atlanta, she could hardly process the moment.

“I was trying my best to stay upright and not fall over because I was having a hard time walking,” Seifert said. “When it was announced that I was not second place, but first place, I felt very relieved. I was just very proud of myself and so excited to go back to my parents and be like, ‘Yeah, I won.’”

The path to that stage began less than a year earlier, when her graphic design vocational teacher introduced her to SkillsUSA, a national organization that hosts competitions in career and technical education fields.

“At first, I thought it sounded awesome and exciting, but it was dropped for a few months until Regionals came around,” Seifert said. “I went in really unprepared since it was my first time, but I ended up placing really high, got into State, and the rest is history.”

Art had always been a part of her life. As a child growing up in Valparaiso, Seifert loved drawing and creating, though she struggled to see how her passion could translate into a viable career. That changed when her father suggested graphic design.

“It sounded perfect,” Seifert said. “I could use my creativity in a job where I could actually make a living for myself. It also aligned with my interest in changing the world through art—being able to see my work impact people and businesses.”

By the time Nationals approached, preparation became serious. Seifert researched past competitions, studied event structures, and used her Regional and State experiences to determine what tools and materials to bring—though there were a few hiccups.

“For the mechanical portion, both me and my teacher forgot to pack a ruler,” she said. “About 20 minutes before my competition started, I ran to the SkillsUSA store and bought a tape measure. Not the best tool when accuracy is key. I also didn’t have a protractor, so I had to guess on some angled images, but it all worked out in the end.”

Her strongest suit was creativity. In the creative skills portion, she designed a logo that became the foundation for her brand style, influencing every related project.

“I really tried to include symbols and colors I could replicate in things like the poster and water bottle design,” Seifert said.

Despite her confidence in some areas, she remained critical of her performance. After noticing a typo in a major project header, she feared the mistake had cost her the competition.

“I couldn’t sleep that night,” Seifert said. “I thought I threw it all away.”

Winning was more than just a medal.

“It was a great sense of validation in my skills,” she said. “It showed me I have what it takes to pursue this as a career. It’s not just a pipe dream. I also think it will help a lot with college and scholarship applications.”

Now heading into her senior year at Washington Township High School, Seifert has her future sights set on the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. She hopes to receive a bachelor’s degree, with a focus in advertising design and possibly minor in user experience.

“You can’t worry about what other people are doing. It’s important to focus on what you can put out there, what your strengths are, and really play into those,” she said.

However, if her career path happens to take her elsewhere, Seifert also has a backup plan.

“I really like to bake,” she said. “If graphic design doesn’t work out, I might decide to start a bakery one day.”