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Finding Strength in Art, Faith, and the Freedom to Create: Jaylon Pate

The ������ College of Liberal Arts proudly recognizes Jaylon Pate as the 2024–2025 Outstanding Bachelor of Arts Student in the Department of Art. A senior with a focus in photography and a minor in business, Pate brings emotional depth, technical skill, and a profound sense of purpose to her creative work.

Her turning point came in the winter of 2024 during the creation of a photo series titled The Rally Project, a black-and-white landscape body of work completed while her husband was deployed. “I took the opportunity to load up my dogs and my camera equipment, and we hit the road,” she said. “I just road-tripped around Alaska—down to Homer, Valdez, Anchorage.”

What began as a photographic series became a deeply personal journey. “The Rally Project was really a turning point in my life,” Pate said. “It allowed me to find out in my life what was holding me back… and everything I had learned so far—the technical aspects of photography and the emotional depth I wanted to convey—just really came together.”

The result was not only a powerful visual narrative but a renewed sense of identity. “Here I am, a year later: clean, sober, social media free, and life is good,” she said. “I deepened my faith through this project and found a freedom that I had never known before.”

Pate’s artistic voice is shaped by both self-reflection and a willingness to grow. “A lesson from my time at ������ that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life is the importance of critique,” she said. “Not just receiving it, but seeking it and learning from it… It has truly helped me grow. I’ve learned to view feedback as an opportunity, not a setback.”

That openness to growth also led her to shift career paths. “When I started college right out of high school, I decided I wanted to be a nurse,” she said. “It wasn’t because I loved nursing—it was just because there was a high demand for nurses.” After speaking with a nurse, Pate realized the job didn’t align with her true interests. She pivoted into business, and eventually found her way to art. “Even if your path changes, just trust your gut feeling and pursue what you are passionate about.”

The Department of Art at ������ encourages that kind of exploration, combining creative freedom with professional and conceptual rigor. Pate’s work embodies the core values of the College of Liberal Arts: purpose, reflection, innovation, and connection.

Though she’s not yet certain where her future will lead, she’s okay with that. “All the plans I’ve had have changed,” she said. “But knowing I’m doing what’s best for me is freeing. I know that all of this time at ������ has been enriching me for what’s ahead.”

With a camera in her hand and faith in her heart, Jaylon Pate is ready for whatever comes next—creating, learning, and continuing to grow.