Eshetu Feleke ’15 worked as a digital media tutor for 3 years while he was an undergraduate student at Middlebury. After graduation we were lucky enough to convince Eshetu to stay with us as a staff member for the summer of 2015 where he continued his supervisory role to assist with tutor scheduling, project development as well as to serve as a valuable technical resource to our new and experienced tutors. Eshetu’s expertise at a variety of programs and artistic eye made him a tremendous asset to the program. His ability to work well with others and find just the right solution for complex problems only amplified his lasting impact on the program.
While working in the digital media tutor program Eshetu assisted with the creation of numerous WordPress and Moodle course sites, as well as providing guidance and assistance with video production and design assignments. Here’s what Eshetu had to share about the program:
“It was a great pleasure working with the DMT program for over three years to help Middlebury College students, professors, staff and administration on various digital media projects. Through the years, I have learned a great deal about working with people. I still remember the first few shifts I covered as a Media Tutor. I was terrified by the idea that someone could walk into the lab and expect me to solve a random problem I had never heard of. After the first few shifts. I came to realize that it was okay to say, “ I have never used this program before but let us try and figure it out together.” Thanks to online resources and fellow media tutors, it is highly unlikely that a problem will remain unsolved. As a media tutor, I have learned the importance of patience when it comes to working with people. We often get people with very different personalities and manners and it is always important to treat everyone with respect. I have also realized how vital teamwork is in a program like ours. It is often the case that if one tutor is unable to solve a certain problem, there would be another tutors who is willing to help out.
We also have the most diverse student employees on campus and it was great working with each one of them. I also loved working with you, Joe, Mack and all the other staff members who help with the DMT program. I appreciate that you all give tutors the freedom to tackle media projects from several different angles. That way, I have seen that many students develop their own creative way of solving problems.
It is amazing how useful the skills I learnt through the DMT program have been the last five years. As an architecture student at Middlebury, I was lucky enough to master all the design applications by working as a DMT. When I got assignments in my design classes, I would know which application to use and how to use it. And of course, mastering the plotter and printing technics was very usefully too.
Currently, I am using the skills I developed there on daily basis. In addition to working on a non-profit I founded, I have been helping people/companies solve design/digital media related problems.”
The non-profit Eshetu founded is called YeneBet and it is an expansion of the homeless shelter project that he worked on as an architectural student at Middlebury.
Eshetu’s Projects
