Toni-Ann Gardner is excited to be celebrating her associate in applied science degree in Graphic Design at Mesa Community College’s 2026 graduation this spring. In recognition of academic excellence and leadership, she was selected as this year’s Class Honors Speaker.
“I've had a love of art for as long as I can remember, but when I found graphic design, that's when I really began to see a path for myself in a creative field,” Gardner said. “I also had an amazing graphic design teacher, Vanessa Lopez Delgado, who saw potential in my work and encouraged me to continue pursuing my passion beyond high school. Although I only knew her for a bit, I'm really thankful for her presence in my life and I'll always carry her memory with me as I continue my design career.”
Gardner decided to attend MCC so she could participate in the President's Honors Scholarship Program.
“The program essentially covered my tuition for my first four semesters at MCC, which was a great way to begin my journey towards higher education,” she said.
“I originally discovered my interest in graphic design during high school. As a student, I was given the opportunity to design a few logos, programs and t-shirts for school events, and from there, everything just seemed to click.”
Gardner plans to attend Arizona State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in graphic information technology.
“The great thing about graphic design is that it's so flexible,” Gardner said. “There are so many paths you can go down with it and I'm excited to explore what this field has to offer for me. I would love to work on a local level though and really connect with Arizona communities through visual communication.”
Gardner said she had many amazing teachers at MCC and is honored to be a member of the 2026 All-Arizona Academic Team.
“I’d really love to thank Dr. Puvana Ganesan, Nick Bradshaw and Malena Barnhart,” she said. “They each helped me a lot with achieving my goals beyond just the classroom and I really appreciate their commitment to the academic success of both me and my peers.”