An education major with a passion for graphic design, Josie Schaurer is now an adjunct professor for Layout and Design at Taylor University.
Schaurer graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2024 with an education major and graphic design minor. As she was looking for design or teaching jobs across the U.S. and abroad, one of the worship leaders at her church texted her about a job opening in the marketing department at Taylor University. She decided to apply for the position and got hired at the end of July 2024.
For a year she created content for the university, from creating the Tayor website to the powerpoint slides the school’s president would use.
She started teaching Layout and Design this academic year and said it is like a part-time job along with her full-time job. When she teaches it takes work hours away from her marketing job, which she has to make up for later. The hours she teaches, she needs to make up because it's technically her work hours for the marketing department.
Schaurer did not always know she wanted to go into graphic design. While studying art education in high school, she was required to take a fundamentals of graphic design class, along with other art courses like painting and sculpture. It was during that class that she realized how much she enjoyed design. She added a graphic design minor in college , which helped develop those skills, combining her interest in both education and design.
What Schaurer enjoys most about design is the meaning behind it. She explained that a lot of design in the world is created quickly without much thought, but she values creating work that has purpose.
She especially enjoys branding and logo design, where she can learn about a company and incorporate small details and “Easter eggs” into the design. For her, it is rewarding to create something where the longer someone looks at it, the more meaning they can find.
“Having the meaning behind it, and contributing positively overall to our culture and the visuals that accompany it everywhere,” Schaurer said, “rather than something that's just like thrown together, it's not communicating something positive overall.”
This intentionality is something others noticed early on. Landin Brown, instructor of design at Taylor University, first encountered Schaurer’s work at her senior show and was immediately struck by the level of thought behind it, leaving behind a strong impression. When she applied at Taylor for a job, he knew she was a candidate to consider. During the interview process, her passion and attention to detail confirmed that impression.
”She did it for the love of the craft,” Brown said.
Schaurer enjoys teaching because it allows her to combine her passion for design with her love for working with students. She finds it especially rewarding to teach at the college level, where students are more engaged and open to exploring creativity.
In her Layout and Design class, she guides students through projects like logo creation and branding, helping them not only learn technical skills but also think critically about meaning and purpose. She values watching students grow more confident in their abilities over time. For Schaurer, teaching is not just about instruction, but about equipping students to express ideas thoughtfully through design.
Looking ahead, Schaurer hopes to continue growing in her role within the marketing department. With the recent addition of another graphic designer, she is excited about the increased capacity to take on more projects and bring more work back in-house. She looks forward to being part of larger projects and continuing to create designs that align with the university’s branding while expanding what their team can do.
