When Jianyu Yang first moved from Boston to Lubbock, Texas, he didn't like the small-town life.
"It took me about two semesters to feel like I belonged," he says of his time at Texas Tech, where he graduated with a PhD in Fine Arts in 2023.
But his time there gave him a "well-rounded understanding of aesthetics and significantly improved my learning abilities, allowing me to quickly acquire new skills and apply them effectively in my work," Yang says.
That work now involves creating engaging content for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, as well as designing visuals for the NFL Draft and crafting video content for the team's digital platforms.
Yang says his time at Texas Tech "laid the foundation for his career in sports," as he had work experience with the university's athletics department before joining the Cardinals.
"Seeing those athletes on TV every day and then having the opportunity to interact with them as colleagues...
you feel like you're part of it," Yang says.
"So now we've designed something where, if the next Jianyu Yang comes through the door, it would be much easier."
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A Gilesgate-based shop and community facility, Hexham’s Core Music, launches a separate workshop where up to six people will be trained how to repair guitars and make ukuleles. The European Social Fund grant supported the project and has secured funds through the County Durham Communication Foundation to equip the workshop in Burn Lane.