Community is an amazing thing. It is defined as a “unified body of individuals.” The Animation Mentor community has continually surprised me with its openness, helpfulness, and eagerness to learn during the time I have been at the school. Our community really fits the definition — we are unified. We are unified in interests, passions, and overarching goals. By attending school online, our students have really opened themselves up to a worldwide community, full of different ideas and life experiences.

Our community is an unparalleled resource to alumni and students:
• Students have been able to network during their time here, with those connections coming into play long after they have completed the program.
• Alumni reach out to each other with recommendations for jobs or openings at their current studio.
• Current students, through our Peer Buddy Program, provide essential feedback on assignments every week.
• Our students are so quick to provide emotional support for each other during creative roadblocks when it is needed.

The connections formed during a student’s time here result in long-lasting friendships.

I will never forget my first Animation Mentor graduation. Seeing a collection of students who all struggled at some point during their time here — whether it be with an assignment, subject matter, or personal issues — all gathered in the same place with most meeting for the first time in person that very weekend. I was touched at the amount of support these new graduates had for each other and all the joy and pride they felt when seeing another student’s work up on the big screen. The sense of community in that room was paramount. These students all took their own personal journey to get to that room, but all took the journey of those experiences together.

That’s what you call a community.