Alumni Profile: Meet Zoe Moraites '25, Graphic Design graduate

"When I decided to redirect my career, I knew WCTC was the answer. I needed a school that catered to people in positions like mine, where flexible schedules, finances and resources were essential.” -- Zoe Moraites, Class of 2025 graduate

Zoe Moraites, a 2025 graduate of WCTC’s Graphic Design program, took a winding path to her degree, but what she learned and experienced along the way has proven invaluable in her creative work.

After graduating from high school in 2013, she enrolled in a private university and began studying physical therapy and later, business. After a frustrating first year, however, she decided to take a break from school, head to Florida and participate in a six-month Disney College Program internship – a transformative and fulfilling experience that allowed her time to determine her next step.

Upon returning to Wisconsin, Moraites then earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies (JAMS) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2017. She returned to Disney for a year, spent four years in retail management and then shifted her focus to more creative pursuits.

"When I decided to redirect my career, I knew WCTC was the answer," said Moraites, who worked and attended WCTC at the same time. “I needed a school that catered to people in positions like mine, where flexible schedules, finances and resources were essential.”

At 28, Moraites had some reservations about returning to school as a nontraditional student, but she quickly found out that age is just a number. “Nobody cares about your age except you,” she said. “If anything, people admire the courage it takes to make such a big change. If you are putting in the work and showing up, there is no age limit.”

She quickly completed the Graphic Design program, thanks to determination, hard work and the many credits that transferred into her program. She joined WCTC’s Graphics Club and interned with the College Marketing department – where she is now a permanent member of the team. The feedback she received from her instructors and support from peers helped build her confidence and push her design work to the next level.

Moraites said her two degrees complement one another and benefit her daily projects. Her JAMS background established core principles of branding and communication, and her Graphic Design education taught her how to apply those principles visually. "I was able to take on my projects in the mindset of a marketer," she explains.

While she initially said she had doubts about starting a program in her late 20s, she’s grateful to have made the leap. “You can go at your own pace and fit school into your life in a way that works for you,” she said. “College should really be a personalized experience, and that is why I chose to study at WCTC.”