Katie Drescher ’23, Graphic Designer Alum, Tapped for UCF Day of Giving Art
Above, the initial concept that Katie Drescher ’23 proposed for this year's Day of Giving art.
Want to download a copy of Katie's original artwork for you to color? Click here!
Like the UCF mascots featured on this year’s Day of Giving cover art, Katie Drescher ’23 is looking to be a Force for the Future. Now a graphic designer for Scholastic, an international company known partly for its schoolbook sales events, Drescher’s love for art began in middle school in Deltona, where an encouraging teacher inspired her to create fearlessly.
Initially drawn to traditional tools like pencils and paper, Drescher expanded her artistic world in high school when she took a digital art class.
“That was my introduction to a whole new world of possibilities,” she says. Her instructor gave her creative freedom, allowing her to explore and refine her craft. By her junior year, she had earned certifications in Adobe Creative Cloud.
“I guess it just clicked with me,” Drescher says. “And it was really fun.”
After high school, she was accepted into the UCF LEAD Scholars Academy, majoring in game design.
“I probably should have just started in graphic design,” she admits, but as a gamer, she was drawn to concept art. She later switched to emerging media with a focus on graphic design in the College of Arts and Humanities.
Her mother, Jacqueline (Bader) Drescher ’95, urged her to get involved in as many extracurricular activities as she could. Drescher joined multiple student organizations, and served on the Homecoming board in various positions, including director of Spirit Splash.
“I was usually behind the scenes at Spirit Splash,” she recalls. “But my first year, I had to sit on the gate and guard the mechanical part of the fountain. Watching everyone rush toward me—that was fun.”
In her senior year, Drescher landed an internship at Scholastic, a company she had admired since childhood. She fondly remembers the excitement of Scholastic Book Fairs in elementary school and loved collecting the world record books. That internship turned into a full-time position.
“Who would have thought this would be my first job? It’s the best,” she says, proudly holding up a fuzzy unicorn diary she recently designed for the fairs.
Even with her demanding job, Drescher couldn’t say no when UCF reached out to her for a special project. The university wanted her to design the Day of Giving cover art in the same Lo-fi Knightro style she had previously created for the Student Union. The theme, “Be a Force for the Future,” came to life through her depictions of UCF’s beloved mascots—Knightro, Citronaut, Vinnie the Vulture, Pegasus and Spirit Splash Duck.
“I drew Vinnie on the left, looking over the other mascots as they set off toward the future of UCF,” she says. In the background, iconic campus landmarks add depth and nostalgia to the piece.
Reflecting on her time at UCF, Drescher calls enrolling in the graphic design program “the best decision I’ve ever made.”
The small, tight-knit cohort fostered collaboration and creativity. She and classmate Destinee Saunders ’23, part of the Student Union Marketing Team, were chosen to design the Pegasus Penthouse mural currently on display in the Student Union.
“Everything just felt intentional,” she says. “Professors Victor Davila and Ashley Taylor took the time to engage with each student. Their packaging design project heightened my interest in package design, leading me to the fun work I’m doing today. I’m so happy I chose UCF, and I’m grateful my degree has led me to my dream job.”
