The School that Graphically Develops Career Opportunities

As a Fremont High School student in the late 1960s, Clarence Williams created a towel holder in wood shop, a dustpan in metal shop and a small motor in electrical shop.

But when he stepped into his fourth shop class, graphic arts, Williams felt like a fish out of water. In fact, he was ready to drop the class. Reassuring words from a classmate kept Williams from dropping the class—and altering the course of his career.

“My friend said, ‘don’t worry about it, I’ll show you.’ I ultimately got a B in that class and I got hooked.”

For the last 34 years, Williams has been the print shop instructor at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles, which has built a reputation for having one of the best graphic design and print shop programs in the LAUSD.

In addition to creating quality, four-color brochures, booklets and event programs for more than 40 schools throughout the area, Williams said his client roster includes the Newton and Hollenbeck divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as the LAUSD itself. 

Williams’ students recently created more than half a million bookmarks, flyers, and posters for the District’s 6th Annual Feria del Libro.  Students were responsible for estimating the cost of the project, color correcting the artwork on the computer, creating lithographic plates, monitoring the entire printing process, properly cutting the printed materials and packaging them for delivery.

To build the program and create new learning opportunities for students, Williams will seek grant funds to purchase upgraded equipment and software, which will produce student yearbooks at a fraction of the cost. He’ll also need matching funds from the LAUSD to secure the grant, which could be tough in light of the District’s budget situation.   

“We have equipment that no other high schools have,” Williams said.  “After six months of training on one particular press, two students were immediately hired at graduation. They’ve been on the job 3 years and doing well.”

One of Williams’ former students is now the graphics design instructor at Jefferson and they work together to run the program. “George Roman was a dynamic student. I had an opening for an aide and brought him on board. Now he’s a dynamic teacher.” 

Creating opportunities for students is at the core of the program.  

“Too many of our young people here don’t have a skill and are leaving high school without having exposure to skills,” he said. “My job is to give them that exposure.”

Without exposure to graphic arts in the late 1960s, Williams wouldn’t be what or where he is today.