thedrifter
05-24-07, 06:36 AM
Marine's next mission: art
After returning home from tour in Iraq, Downers Grove native pursues passion for graphic design
May 24, 2007
By Eva McKendrick Staff Writer
When Downers Grove native Paul Wikowsky joined the Marines in May 1991, he did it for his own reasons. He didn't have a college degree or a strong skill set, and he needed some discipline in his life.
Sixteen years later, Wikowsky has all of that and a changed attitude, to boot.
"(The Marines) don't allow failure, ever," he said.
Wikowsky finished his degree in graphic design in mid-May from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where his professors, he said, noted that he always came up with an answer.
"They said, 'It's your attitude. It must be something about the Marines,'" he said.
Wikowsky stayed in the Marines because he loved the challenge. Now he finds that same passion in graphic design.
For a thesis project, each student had to spend the semester studying something small and portable. Some created projects about rings, pendants or sunflower seeds. Wikowsky's project focused on his scars.
"Scars are like tattoos with better stories," he said.
He created a book mapping out his scars and how he received each one - a bike accident, a bite from a brown recluse spider, the smallpox vaccine he was administered in the Marines, etc.
Then, just for another challenge, he completely redesigned the book for his senior show at the end of the semester. On May 11, Wikowsky presented some of his favorite work to be critiqued at UIC. All the judges told him "Scars" was his best work.
Wikowsky's love of challenges was why, while in the Marines, he asked for the demanding task of loading ships for deployment. He describes the job as like what UPS or Fed-Ex does, only on an even more massive scale.
He specialized in preparing units for deployment, which involves figuring out how the Marines are going to get from one area to another and arranging their food and housing.
Wikowsky left the Marines in 2003 but told officials to call him if he were ever needed and he'd come back if physically possible.
He got that phone call shortly afterward and left University of Illinois at Chicago under a military withdrawal and flew into Kuwait in February 2003.
Five months later, 60 percent of the reserve unit went home. Wikowsky volunteered to stay for another five months of duty.
He said his decision to go to Iraq had nothing to do with his personal feelings about the war or the president.
"I always went over for the same reasons, and that's for the guys," he said. He added that the reserves sometimes get overlooked and have to stay much longer than necessary.
The first time Wikowsky went to Camp Fallujah, there was no air conditioning inside the tents, sending the temperature up to 135 degrees, and showers were intermittent at best.
"As soon as you got out of the shower, the dust picked up and you were a powdered doughnut again," he said.
But Wikowsky said no one in his Marine unit could complain because they were all in the same boat.
His stint with the Marines expired in August 2006. Now he is living with his sister in Woodridge, finishing up two graphic design internships and looking for a job in the field.
"In the military, there is never a question in you mind that the work is important," he said. "That definitely has carried over into the work that I do now in graphic design. The sense of responsibility carries into everything I do."
Contact Eva McKendrick at emckendrick@scn1.com or call 630-416-5103.
Ellie
After returning home from tour in Iraq, Downers Grove native pursues passion for graphic design
May 24, 2007
By Eva McKendrick Staff Writer
When Downers Grove native Paul Wikowsky joined the Marines in May 1991, he did it for his own reasons. He didn't have a college degree or a strong skill set, and he needed some discipline in his life.
Sixteen years later, Wikowsky has all of that and a changed attitude, to boot.
"(The Marines) don't allow failure, ever," he said.
Wikowsky finished his degree in graphic design in mid-May from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where his professors, he said, noted that he always came up with an answer.
"They said, 'It's your attitude. It must be something about the Marines,'" he said.
Wikowsky stayed in the Marines because he loved the challenge. Now he finds that same passion in graphic design.
For a thesis project, each student had to spend the semester studying something small and portable. Some created projects about rings, pendants or sunflower seeds. Wikowsky's project focused on his scars.
"Scars are like tattoos with better stories," he said.
He created a book mapping out his scars and how he received each one - a bike accident, a bite from a brown recluse spider, the smallpox vaccine he was administered in the Marines, etc.
Then, just for another challenge, he completely redesigned the book for his senior show at the end of the semester. On May 11, Wikowsky presented some of his favorite work to be critiqued at UIC. All the judges told him "Scars" was his best work.
Wikowsky's love of challenges was why, while in the Marines, he asked for the demanding task of loading ships for deployment. He describes the job as like what UPS or Fed-Ex does, only on an even more massive scale.
He specialized in preparing units for deployment, which involves figuring out how the Marines are going to get from one area to another and arranging their food and housing.
Wikowsky left the Marines in 2003 but told officials to call him if he were ever needed and he'd come back if physically possible.
He got that phone call shortly afterward and left University of Illinois at Chicago under a military withdrawal and flew into Kuwait in February 2003.
Five months later, 60 percent of the reserve unit went home. Wikowsky volunteered to stay for another five months of duty.
He said his decision to go to Iraq had nothing to do with his personal feelings about the war or the president.
"I always went over for the same reasons, and that's for the guys," he said. He added that the reserves sometimes get overlooked and have to stay much longer than necessary.
The first time Wikowsky went to Camp Fallujah, there was no air conditioning inside the tents, sending the temperature up to 135 degrees, and showers were intermittent at best.
"As soon as you got out of the shower, the dust picked up and you were a powdered doughnut again," he said.
But Wikowsky said no one in his Marine unit could complain because they were all in the same boat.
His stint with the Marines expired in August 2006. Now he is living with his sister in Woodridge, finishing up two graphic design internships and looking for a job in the field.
"In the military, there is never a question in you mind that the work is important," he said. "That definitely has carried over into the work that I do now in graphic design. The sense of responsibility carries into everything I do."
Contact Eva McKendrick at emckendrick@scn1.com or call 630-416-5103.
Ellie