By Matthew Salzano ’18 and Genny Boots ’18
Samuel Hosman ’14 went to college and fell in love.
With Denmark.
After spending his junior year in Denmark and absolutely loving it, Hosman decided he wanted to return to the “happiest country on earth.” He currently works in Copenhagen as a graphic designer, and will be starting this fall at KADK, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, for a masters degree in Graphic Communication Design.
How did you end up working in Copenhagen?
Honestly, I would have never even considered living in Denmark if it wasn’t for study abroad — it literally changed my life. For my junior year at PLU I studied in Copenhagen with DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia and fell in love with nordic design, scandinavian culture, and the Danes.
I knew I had to come back. After my last year at PLU and a short (and wonderful) stint in MarCom at PLU, I took an internship working and traveling with students in the Architecture and Design Department at DIS in Copenhagen. I’ve been living here ever since.
What is your current position?
I am a graphic designer in the Group Communications team for Rockfon, an acoustic ceiling company owned by ROCKWOOL, a Danish company producing stone-wool insulation for construction. We are around ten people sitting in Group Communications, and most are Danish, so a mixture of English and Danish is spoken during the day.
What does your day look like?
Each day is different, but typically my job has me editing various documents (campaign brochures, online banners) and sometimes joining a virtual meeting over Skype. Almost everything my fellow graphic designer and I create is translated to our local markets across Europe, Asia, and North America, so we work with a lot of local marketing managers across the world.
When did you discover design?
I don’t think there was ever an ‘A-ha!’ moment with design, or a moment I knew this is what I want to do with my life. I did design a few posters for Hinderlie Hall and took a graphic design class with Jp Avila as a first-year but like anything, your interests build up over time, and they materialize before you realize was is happening. I think a keen interest in architecture, legos, and looking at old labels from my dad’s beer bottle collection as a kid probably had something to do with it.
What do you remember most about your time at PLU?
There are so many great memories, and I could never pick just one. Toga parties in Hinderlie. Spending hours in the studio in Ingram. Spending hours in the basement of the UC. Taking Ecology over the summer with Dr. Bill Teska. Design classes with Jp Avila. Helping create documentaries with Medialab. Designing posters for Impact.
What skills/life experiences did you gain at PLU that you carry with you now?
PLU made me a globally-minded, thoughtful, and introspective person. Through the opportunity to study abroad abroad at PLU, I became a more empathetic global citizen. While on campus my leadership positions showed me listening to others is often more important than talking.
As for introspection, all Lutes know how much Mary Oliver’s poem is ingrained into our minds at PLU. Although finding your passion sometimes sounds impossible, it forced me to ask myself: What really makes me happy? What do I want to do with my life? The answer is I wanted to travel and I wanted architecture and design to be a part of my life. Through PLU’s supportive culture, some hard work, and a little luck I made that happen.
What advice do you have for current students?
I applied to many internships in Seattle after graduation from PLU, but nothing materialized. I remember feeling disappointed, as if an internship in Seattle was the only option to propel me in the ‘right’ direction. But then an opportunity opened up at PLU, and then afterwards in Denmark. So, don’t be discouraged if your ‘plan’ doesn’t work out. If an interesting opportunity presents itself, take it. If you have a goal you are working towards in life, it is natural to take a detour. Life (almost always) works itself out.