“There is a problem with underage drinking in the community,” said Rebecca Talley, Art and Advertising professor at Los Medanos College.

Talley was approached by the city of Antioch to try and help raise awareness on the subject.

Teri Lynn Lowery, Antioch Project Coordinator for Underage Drinking Prevention, worked with Talley as they came up with the idea to have a Poster Contest to support their Visibility/Enforcement campaign of Underage Drinking Prevention.

There are numerous adults who supply alcohol to underage drinkers.

“We really wanted to address the peer pressure,” said Talley.

Talley made the Underage Drinking Poster an assignment in her Adobe Illustrator class. She then told the students there was a chance to win $100.

Daniel Montiel was selected as the winner of the poster contest. “I didn’t expect it,” Montiel explains. “In that class, there were a lot of talented people. I was surprised they picked mine.”

Talley talks about why Montiel’s poster was the winner. “It was clean, it was professional, it was to the point. There was enough visual interest,” she explains. “This one was superior.”

Talley makes each student research their subject before they do any assignment. Montiel talks about how he researches a lot before each assignment. “It gives you different ideas,” he explains. He says that’s when the idea just pops in your mind.

Montiel has been interested in art since he was very young. Starting with drawing, then painting and now graphic design. He has been doing graphic design for four years now and wants to continue with it as a career.

Montiel’s career choice before taking graphic design was to be a Police Officer. “I always wanted to be one since I was little,” he said. After taking graphic design he changed his mind completely.

His first art class at LMC was graphic design with Talley.

“I realized I wanted to do this for a living,” said Montiel.

“When I thought about an actual career, graphic design was the thing.” That is why Montiel was so passionate about this contest. “It was like working for the real thing.”

In Montiel’s family, he is one of the only artists. “It’s just me and my sister,” he explains. “My dad can only draw stick figures,” he laughs.

Talley has been a big help in Montiel’s dream of doing this as a career. “She’s always been very supportive and tries to help as much as she can,” he said. Talley has helped Montiel with receiving an internship at LMC in the Student Life Office.

He plans on continuing to pursue  his career as a graphic artist.