Traci Moore, the director of Creative Services in University Marketing and Communications, talks to students at Cardinal Ritter College Prep about the process to develop UMSL’s new Louie mascot logo last Friday at the school. (Photo by Steve Walentik)

Brandon Jonas wasn’t in attendance last month as members of the University of Missouri–St. Louis community filled the third-floor rotunda of the Millennium Student Center to see the university’s Louie mascot logo revealed.

But Jonas, who earned his master’s degree in special education from UMSL in 2021, attended the university’s homecoming basketball games that evening and got an early glimpse of the new logo. He immediately recognized a learning opportunity.

UMSL alum Brandon Jonas (at left) poses a question to his students in his Advertising and Media Studies course last Friday during a presentation by UMSL Director of Creative Services Traci Moore. (Photo by Steve Walentik)

Jonas, who is in his third year teaching at Cardinal Ritter College Prep, wound up inviting UMSL Director of Creative Services Traci Moore, who helped lead the development of the logo, to speak to students about the process in his Advertising and Media Studies course. So Moore stood in front of a room of 15 students – including several from a Personal Finance elective course – last Friday morning and walked them through the design and how it came into existence.

That included some brief background on the Louie mascot, discussion of why it was important to have a visual representation and some early sketches from artist Scott Matthews as he began to create the new logo.

“She really went through the process,” Jonas said. “I appreciate the fact that she talked about the steps. It wasn’t just, ‘Here’s the final product, and what do you think?’ It was: Here’s how we started. Here’s what led us to want to do this project. Here’s the different iterations that it came through, and then here’s the video that we showed at the reveal. Making that relate in terms of procedural awareness to paper writing and assignments just made it much more real for students.”

Jonas has made it a point to bring in real-world professionals to talk to his students whenever their work is applicable to the curriculum the students are learning. He said he’s hosted broadcasters, videographers and people who’ve worked on Super Bowl advertising. Hearing from those individuals enhances the students’ understanding.

Traci Moore takes a selfie with Cardinal Ritter College Prep students in teacher Brandon Jonas’ Advertising and Media Studies course. (Photo by Traci Moore)

“I think they are able to actually see how what they learn in school translates into real-world success,” he said. “I think a lot of times teachers and students get lost in theory and discussions, and they certainly have their place. But when you see someone coming in who actually gets paid to do what we talk about in class, the class then takes on a different life. And instead of becoming theoretical, they see, ‘Hey, this is an option. Here’s what we could do. Here’s what actual people do, and they get paid to do it, and they enjoy what they do.’ We’re not saying you have to follow in their steps, but you are going to be where they are one day, maybe just in a different field.”

Jonas was particularly pleased to connect one of his lessons to something taking place at UMSL. He remains grateful for the education he received while pursuing his master’s degree.

“UMSL doesn’t get enough credit for the value of the education that it provides,” Jonas said. “I was a virtual student because I did my master’s degree totally online, but my professors were beyond accommodating. When you have someone who’s working, who has a small family, who is trying to find themselves and their career, and then you tack on another master’s degree on top of that, it became a lot. But the professors were just great if I needed extensions or if I needed assistance. They were always more than willing to help, and I thought that was something I wasn’t expecting and surely a positive that I’m not going to get everywhere.”