JMS Junior Ashley Huang lands Adobe apprenticeship after attending Adobe MAX

It was the experience of a lifetime for SDSU junior Ashley Huang. For three days, Huang immersed herself in a sea of fellow creatives at Adobe MAX, an annual conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center where attendees learn new skills and explore emerging Adobe technologies. This was Huang's first time attending an event of this magnitude.

“I was really grateful to have the privilege to go, especially knowing that a lot of professionals have to ask their companies to send them there. As a student, it’s a rare opportunity to be able to go,” Huang said. “I woke up every morning telling myself I was going to make the most out of the experience.”

Huang describes herself as a multidisciplinary creative. When she is not focused on her public relations major, she dabbles in graphic design and marketing to diversify her skill set.

“With these careers, there are so many different paths that I am interested in,” Huang said. “I really like PR, I have this graphic design skill set from high school and now I get to work on this Adobe thing.”

The CSU Entertainment Alliance made the opportunity to attend MAX possible. The initiative provides resources to remove roadblocks for CSU students entering the entertainment industry. The alliance covered the cost of Huang's ticket and accommodations for the three-day conference, and Huang noted that the program constantly seeks more student applicants.

“Through the CSU Entertainment Alliance, I found all the information about the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship, and was able to apply for it,” Huang said. “They want more students to apply and take advantage of this great program.”

Throughout the weekend, Huang attended various lab sessions, including her favorite, “Style on the fast-track: Kate Spade custom model makeover.” She networked with media industry professionals and attended keynote sessions, fascinated by the insights shared by industry leaders.

“Every day started with this big keynote where Adobe people would present new things that they were working on and talk about their accomplishments, and then there would be special speakers like James Gunn, who directed Guardians of the Galaxy and Superman,” Huang said. “There were lots of really cool people there, and I was surrounded by so much creativity.”

While at the convention, Huang applied for the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship program. The program connects early-career creatives with active industry professionals through paid, hands-on opportunities, mentorships and portfolio development. Though she had some hesitations while filling out the application, a conversation with the program's head at the Adobe booth provided answers to her lingering questions.

The representatives provided Huang with a link to an assignment. After returning home, she submitted her pitch and Adobe accepted it.

“Adobe paid me to do a 62-second video on how I use Adobe Firefly boards,” she said. “It was really cool because I got to have a lot of creative freedom with it. Getting paid to make a video for Adobe is really cool, and I get to say I partnered with Adobe, which is insane.”

Huang’s pitch focused on how Adobe Firefly can help shape ideas, design directions and the overall creative process. In a video posted to her LinkedIn page,, she demonstrates how she transitioned a raw sketch into a digital design.

“For my idea, I decided I wanted to draw something and have it come to life. With Adobe Firefly Boards, I can do that,” she said. “With 59 seconds, I just showed how I turned a sketch into a real design, and I designed my dream purse.”

With the project completed, Huang gained access to the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship program, which has opened potential employment opportunities that pay better than entry-level internships. The process reinforced for Huang that creativity has no bounds. Attending the conference opened her eyes to new professional possibilities, giving her a sense of assurance regarding life after graduation.

“It really just reinforced that there’s so much possibility and there’s so much space to create was my biggest takeaway,” Huang said. “Being around creative professionals, it’s not scary. Thinking about post-grad, it's not scary. Going to this conference really amplified my excitement for graduating and going into the career world.”