Ryan “Tortellini” Vallette comes to TGP through the renowned Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. TGP has been lucky to host an intern from Scripps each semester for the past 2 years, and these interns have been vital to the production of TGP’s graphics, photos, videos, and social media (among many other things!). In this blog, we check in with Ryan to learn more about his time so far at TGP.
1. Can you tell us more about your background and why you chose to take up the internship at TGP?
I am a senior at OU and have a background in primarily website design and code but a personal love for photography, information design and infographics. After hearing such good things about TGP from past Scripps interns I wanted to be part of the mission. My family has a history of working in nonprofits and TGP offered a great chance to both carry that on and practice my communication skills.
2. What has been your most memorable Grassroots experience so far this semester?
Maybe not one memory but I love going to programs they the kids always go “hey cameraman take my picture”. I remember being young and always thinking the people with the camera where cool because they could go wherever they wanted and could do their own thing while programs were going on, and now I get to be that guy.
3. Describe TGP’s culture in 3 words.
Community, Supportive, Playfull
4. What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on so far? What has been the most exciting one?
The most challenging is taking on all of the design work for TGP’s new Mental Health curriculum (“Coach’s Guide”), mainly because of the scale of the project.
The most exciting is the TGP snapshot and one-pager because of all of the visuals involved.
5. After you finish at Ohio U., what are your biggest career goals?
My biggest career goal is to be the creative director of a team I am proud of doing work I couldn’t accomplish alone. And to be happy, always keep that as a goal.
6. You chose Tortellini as your Grassroots nickname. Can you tell us more about this choice!?
My friends at OU have a few video games we play together as the Pasta Squad where we are all named after our favorite pasta confection. So I am Tortellini in that group, but we also have an Alfredo, Spaghetti, Meatball, Rigatoni and so on.
