New Buffalo High School Alumni | Alumni in the Spotlight

ALUMNI IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Jodi Kanger – New Buffalo High School Class of '93

After graduation, Jodi went to Central Michigan University to get one step closer to becoming a veterinarian – a childhood dream. One Chemistry and one Biology class later, she moved on.

College was a time for having fun and testing out new dreams, so she did just that. She became active in the arts. In the drama program, Jodi appeared in the productions of Guys & Dolls and Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.. But her niche seemed to be"art" so she pursued her degree in Graphic Design, graduating in 1997.

To help pay the tuition at CMU, Jodi tended bar, a valuable skill indeed because one day in 1997 she just packed her bags and moved to the Detroit area. To supplement her "day job" in design, she tended bar in Royal Oak and Berkley at night. After a few months of designing coupon inserts, wall side windows, billboards on I-94, and a web site, Jodi still had a serious case of wanderlust and an ambition to do something of a higher calling in the design world.

In 1998, armed with a hundred bucks, an approved application for grad school and her bartending skills, she set out for Richmond, Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University Advertising Center. She enjoyed life in the former Capital of the Confederacy but a summer interning in the"Big Apple" was a new high point in her life. She was hooked on the big city. Soon after graduating with a Masters in Communications in 2001, Jodi moved to New York City.

She started with Lowe Worldwide, one of the world's largest Ad agencies with brands like LEGO, Saab, Sprite, RCA, Verizon, Snuggle (the bear) and the "Got Milk?" campaign. Jodi worked there until 2003 when, feeling a little restless, she opted for a little change in her life.

Now Jodi works for Just Kid, Inc., a Connecticut-based company that does marketing and new product development for kids. She goes on the road talking to kids about what their lives are like, what they love to do and how they think about life. She gets paid to watch cartoons and keep up everything "kid" – a dream job.

Jodi also a volunteer for a organization called LIFEbeat, which was founded by members of the music industry to fight AIDS and raise awareness for at-risk city youth. She attends outreach events and talks to teenagers and young adults about AIDS, safe sex, and getting tested. The organization also helps answer their questions and offers counsel on serious issues.

Jodi says she fell in love with NYC on DAY ONE and her romance with the City has only grown stronger – even after witnessing 9/11. She says she won't stay forever, because she knows it's just the beginning of her journey through life.

Jodi lives with her dog "Zeus", cat "Quigley" and boyfriend Jason, in Astoria, New York (just outside NYC).

An Update: Apparently, Jody found another "dream job", she has moved to LA, driving a convertible and soaking up the sun. Love affairs with cities are often fleeting!