Pawlak is a graphic design major at George Mason University who beat out artists from around the country to win the Army Ten-Miler T-Shirt Design Contest. Pawlak’s design features a pair of dog tags with the Ten-Miler logo in front of an American flag, and he said he was encouraged by a professor to enter the competition. The 21-year-old junior won prizes valued at about $3,500, and more than 30,000 runners will be given his T-shirt when they compete at the Pentagon in the fall.
How did you get into graphic design?
My sister graduated George Mason about six years before me, and she was also a graphic design major. I started getting into it on my own in high school and decided I wanted to go to college for it. I ended up going to Mason, and I made that my major.
How did you hear about the competition?
My professor at Mason runs in the Army Ten-Miler every year, and he’s hated the T-shirt designs every year. He decided to make an assignment for us to all do it. When we turned it in, he told me to submit mine — he said I could win something. I submitted it and hoped for the best. I found out that I made the top five, and I thought, “Oh, that’s cool” — and then I ended up winning. It’s gonna be pretty cool to have 35,000 people wearing my shirt.
You beat out professional designers and longtime entrants to win the award. How does it feel?
I’m 21 — I’m not even a senior yet. It feels pretty good to get my name high up in the ranking.
Are you planning to stay in graphic design after graduation?
I haven’t decided yet. It all depends on the market next year. My minor is in [information technology], but I do want to stick with graphic design. Lots of graphic designers end up doing page layouts and boring stuff. I’m hoping to do something I can actually enjoy.
