{"id":117792,"date":"2025-08-29T05:54:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T05:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117792\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T05:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T05:54:10","slug":"new-art-student-finds-fresh-canvas-at-texas-tech-august-2025-texas-tech-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117792\/","title":{"rendered":"New Art Student Finds Fresh Canvas at Texas Tech | August 2025 | Texas Tech Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jaycie Thornton never thought she\u2019d end up at a Big XII university, but after discovering
\n Texas Tech\u2019s School of Art, she\u2019s making the small community at a big school her own.<\/p>\n

\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n

Jaycie Thornton\u2019s world revolves around art.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t sure college was a part of her journey at first. Then she started to envision
\n higher education, but at niche design schools. The last thing on her mind was attending
\n a Big XII university like her mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But because of the impression Texas Tech University<\/a> made on Jaycie and her family, the new Red Raider is enjoying her first month of
\n classes at Texas Tech\u2019s School of Art<\/a>. She plans to study Digital Narrative Arts<\/a>, after completing her first year of foundational courses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jaycie dreams of animating children\u2019s stories for Pixar or Disney.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always felt connected to the idea of storytelling,\u201d Jaycie says. \u201cI\u2019ve been
\n making up characters and giving them stories for as long as I can remember.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

Academics & Art\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jaycie was not an average child.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been an artist since the day she was born,\u201d says her mother, Ali Thornton.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Toddler<\/p>\n

Ali dabbled with drawing growing up, but it was a hobby. When her daughter put pencil
\n to paper, she recognized Jaycie had a God-given gift. The young artist worked with
\n pencils, crayons, paints, ceramics and any other medium she could get her hands on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time I was in fifth grade I remember thinking, \u2018I\u2019m an artist \u2013 that\u2019s who
\n I am,\u2019\u201d Jaycie says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was never a different path for Jaycie, despite enjoying other activities like
\n theater, basketball and horseback riding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJaycie can ride the hair off a horse,\u201d Jaycie\u2019s father, Russell Thornton, added.<\/p>\n

\"JaycieJaycie Thornton<\/p>\n

While art was a sizable part of her elementary years, the more serious she became
\n about it, the less emphasis it had in her schooling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe school she attended her freshman year was focused on athletics and did not have
\n much in terms of the arts,\u201d Ali recalls. \u201cJaycie started going downhill; her spark
\n just left.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Intent on helping their daughter pursue her passions, her parents took Jaycie to tour
\n a prep school in Waco, Texas, their hometown. They were impressed by the culture and
\n Jaycie fell in love with the art facilities.<\/p>\n

\"Jaycie\"Jaycie<\/p>\n

Jaycie completed high school at Vanguard College Preparatory School.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a pretty serious student,\u201d Jaycie says. \u201cI\u2019ve never been happy to receive anything
\n below an A, so it was important Vanguard had strong academics, as well as art.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As serious as she was about grades, Jaycie was still unsure about the future. College
\n was a daunting idea, and while she would have been happy attending an art school that
\n wasn\u2019t an accredited four-year university, her parents longed for her to have the
\n resources of a research-focused institution. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Ali wondered if there were any schools where Jaycie could study art but also get a
\n well-rounded college education. She had attended Baylor University, so the family
\n started its search there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI reached out to try to set up a tour with the art school at Baylor, but it was difficult
\n to schedule,\u201d Ali said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Campus Visit<\/p>\n

As Jaycie\u2019s junior year ended, she was showing her pieces at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event<\/a> (VASE). The exhibit showcases exemplary work from high school students across Texas,
\n awarding all-state-winning artwork.<\/p>\n

Part of the event allows colleges to set up booths for recruitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the first event I did as a recruiter after taking this job,\u201d says Tonja Hagy-Valdine<\/a>, recruiter for Texas Tech\u2019s School of Art.<\/p>\n

Tonja remembers meeting Jaycie\u2019s mom as she was meandering through a sea of course
\n catalogs. The two got to chatting and the recruiter encouraged Ali to bring Jaycie
\n by the booth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTexas Tech wasn\u2019t on our radar,\u201d Ali says. \u201cI knew Texas Tech well and had always
\n liked the school, but I hadn\u2019t heard about its arts program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali brought Jaycie back to meet Tonja, and the two immediately hit it off.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tonja spoke Jaycie\u2019s language, as she herself is an alumna of Texas Tech\u2019s School
\n of Art. A photographer of more than 20 years, Tonja inquired about Jaycie\u2019s work and
\n the pair were swept into dialogue with the ease of a brushstroke to canvas.<\/p>\n

Tonja also spoke Ali\u2019s language.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen kids tell their parents \u2018I want to study art\u2019 the first question is usually
\n how they\u2019ll afford to live,\u2019\u201d Tonja says. \u201cWell, I went through this program and was
\n able to show Ali my resume \u2013 all the things I\u2019ve done since. I think it shows parents
\n it\u2019s a good investment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seeing someone who\u2019d experienced success put Ali\u2019s mind at ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTonja immediately made us feel like family,\u201d Ali remembers. \u201cWe knew after getting
\n home that we had to get out to Lubbock and tour campus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When they arrived at Texas Tech for a visit in June, Ali says the staff rolled out
\n the red carpet.<\/p>\n

Jaycie could see herself on campus and as a part of the art community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI jibed with everything,\u201d Jaycie says. \u201cThe campus was beautiful and after touring
\n I couldn\u2019t imagine going anywhere else.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jaycie loved the spacious art studios and the plethora of resources offered to art
\n students. She gazed at the large canvases, animation technology and dark rooms with
\n eagerness. Beyond the art facility itself, she noted how much she liked the University Recreation<\/a> facilities, parks, restaurants and housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But one of her favorite parts of the tour wasn\u2019t on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tonja had invited the mother and daughter out during Lubbock\u2019s First Friday Art Trail<\/a>. Not only does the event showcase local artists, it\u2019s also deeply connected with
\n the School of Art. Many students get involved while attending Texas Tech and it\u2019s
\n a way to embed themselves in the larger Lubbock community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWaco has an OK art scene, but it\u2019s mostly all Chip and Joanna Gaines these days,\u201d
\n Jaycie teases, referring to the couple who became overnight sensations on Home & Garden
\n Television\u2019s \u201cFixer Upper.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jaycie loved that Lubbock was still a mid-sized and accessible city like Waco, but
\n she felt it had a more vibrant art scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually loved Lubbock,\u201d Ali says. \u201cThe art trail really sold the city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Making Her Mark\u00a0<\/p>\n

A list that had started with the Savannah College of Art and Design, Baylor University
\n and Texas State University came to a point \u2013 Texas Tech was at the pinnacle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, Jaycie and her parents didn\u2019t visit anymore colleges after their time in
\n Lubbock.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy drive the tires off the pickup when the decision was made?\u201d poses Russell.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, Jaycie applied, and then they waited.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so nervous I wasn\u2019t going to get in,\u201d Jaycie remembers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unlike some colleges at Texas Tech, the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts<\/a> can require additional application to its programs beyond acceptance to the university
\n as a whole. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Because Jaycie applied for a sizable scholarship, she was required to submit a portfolio.
\n She was not only being considered for her grades, but her art also was under a magnifying
\n glass \u2013 a deeply intimidating and vulnerable feeling for many artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Jaycie's\"Jaycie'sJaycie’s artwork<\/p>\n

On an afternoon in August 2024, Jaycie arrived home from school to her mother excitedly
\n explaining she had an email notification from Texas Tech.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was so worried,\u201d Ali remembers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They opened the email and Jaycie\u2019s fears melted away. Jaycie remembers the animated
\n falling confetti on the web page announcing her acceptance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so proud of myself; it felt like all my years studying had paid off,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also was awarded the scholarship she applied for.<\/p>\n

Jaycie\u2019s family took her out to celebrate, and Ali presented her with a card she\u2019d
\n designed of the Double T and Raider Red \u2013 new doodles she\u2019ll be practicing over the
\n coming years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTexas Tech made me, as a mom, feel more excited than nervous,\u201d Ali says. \u201cIt\u2019s been
\n everything you could hope for as a parent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Jaycie\"Jaycie<\/p>\n

Her husband feels the same way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJaycie has big dreams,\u201d Russell affirms. \u201cI am ready for her to achieve her dreams.
\n Every father wants the best opportunities for his kids. I believe I am getting that
\n by sending Jaycie to Texas Tech.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jaycie recently moved into her dorm room and is happy to be living one block from
\n the School of Art, where she can go as far as her imagination takes her. She knows
\n art is her calling and feels that getting to do what she loves in a place that feels
\n like home is all she could have asked for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ali is looking forward to her daughter finding her people, so \u2013to -speak. She knows
\n Jaycie is hesitant to speak up but has a lot to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ve been looking out at the world,\u201d Jaycie says. \u201cBut I\u2019m ready to be in
\n it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jaycie\"Jaycie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jaycie Thornton never thought she\u2019d end up at a Big XII university, but after discovering Texas Tech\u2019s School…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117793,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,229,88],"class_list":["post-117792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}