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I’m Amber Van Roekel.

Graphic designer, watercolor bender, and lover of stories.

I am a graphic design student, ready for new adventures within the field! I love making ordinary things beautiful, playing with cats, and creating stories through visual experiences!

“Oh dear, I cannot tease you about that. Which is a shame for I dearly love to laugh.”
– Elizabeth Bennet, Pride & prejudice

About Me

My name in Amber Van Roekel. I am a student at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I graduated from the Media Design Program at the beginning of May 2023.

I have lived on a farm just outside of Alvord, Iowa, my whole life. All twenty-one years of it. Looking back at my childhood there were so many adventures that I went on. I have three other siblings and we all love to laugh. Myself especially, and my two sisters and one brother know that well.

My siblings and I were homeschooled. Because of that, I got really close to my family. We followed different curriculums and had more free time to play and use our imaginations. I strongly believe that no kid should have to stay stuck at a desk for eight hours, five days a week.

Having been homeschooled, I developed my love for reading. We read so many books and learned much through storytelling. Of course, we had our big textbooks, but reading about history through story was the best way to learn. Our field trips included doing nature studies in our backyard, and the library and playground in town were our kingdoms.

I’ve grown up in a Christian household. And having lived on a farm my whole life, I can say that there are many times when I’ve seen God work. Miracles are abundant in the country!

Being homeschooled, my mom and dad were able to teach us history through the Christian worldview. There have been many times throughout my young adult years that I’ve been grateful for it.

Growing up, I always loved drawing. I stuck with my pencils and that was it. But in my junior year of high school I had my first online art lesson. I learned all about the different mediums and dived right into the deep end. I sculpted with clay (making a big mess), played with charcoal (made an even bigger mess), and experimented with acrylic and watercolor paints (to this day I still don’t know how I got paint on my nose or feet. Don’t ask. I still make messes with whatever medium I play with).

After graduating high school, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life. I took a gap year where I worked at a factory, making frozen pastries among other delicious foods. It wasn’t what I’d call my favorite thing to do. That was the longest gap year ever. After I took a bit of time to think and pray over it, I knew I wanted to work within the creative field. Thus, I applied for the Media Design program at STC, got in, and boom! Here we are today!

I am excited to see what the future holds and what new opportunities come about! I know life can be hard, but in the end, all things work together for good!

“He said, “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”
– Ray Bradbury