Design students Garret Smith and Alexander Arenas named Students to Watch by GDUSA
Big congratulations to our senior Experience/Graphic Design students Garret Smith and Alexander Arenas, who have been named Students to Watch by Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) for 2026.
GDUSA, graphic design USA, is the nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities. Each year the GDUSA Students to Watch program recognizes outstanding emerging designers from leading art and design schools across the country—students whose creativity, vision, and dedication are helping shape the future of the profession.
This year, we’re proud to see two Woodbury University experience design students named as award recipients.
Garret Smith
Garret Smith is a 29-year-old graphic designer born in North Carolina and raised in Florida, whose practice is shaped by both discipline and curiosity. He is a U.S. Army Veteran, having served from 2014 to 2020 as an Airborne Multimedia Illustrator, where he developed a rigorous, purpose-driven approach to visual communication. In 2025, he earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Woodbury University.
Smith’s passion for design began in childhood through vinyl records and VHS tapes, where he found himself more captivated by cover art than the music or films themselves. These early experiences sparked a lasting fascination with visual storytelling and cultural context.
Today, his work is driven by the integrated narrative potential of graphic design and the evolving nature of creative problem-solving. He values exploration, adaptability, and concept-led solutions that respond thoughtfully to shifting challenges. Smith is also a proud father to his three-year-old daughter, Zoey Smith, whose presence continually inspires balance, perspective, and purpose in his creative life. [source: gdusa.com]
Alexander Arenas
Hello. I’m Alexander Arenas, a senior at Woodbury University studying graphic design. I mainly focus on visual identity and branding and am proficient in motion graphics, typography, and other multidisciplinary design aspects.
I began my graphic design journey in middle school and continued in high school, joining the Digital Media program and completing three years of classes. In my final year, I joined Yearbook Club and designed that year’s book cover. I came to Woodbury with my passion already cemented, and their program has helped me learn more about and gain experience in the graphic design profession.
Besides graphic design, I’m also a music fan, being an avid music listener and music producer for electronic music genres, mainly focusing on house music and other similar genres. I’m also interested in writing, webcomics, and anime, and I contribute to Wikipedia. [source: gdusa.com]
