Grad recognized as rising star in print industry

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Nick Gawreluk ’13 (print media) was named one of the Top 20 Under 40 by a leading publication for commercial printers.

A quick glance at Nick Gawreluk’s ’13 (print media) résumé would probably lead you to believe he’s a print industry veteran rather than a 23-year-old just starting his career.

He has the education: graduating with honors from RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. He has the experience: working for five print industry giants, including positions in Brazil and Germany.

And now he even has the awards: recently named one of the Top 20 Under 40 by Printing Impressions, the leading publication for commercial printers.

“When the editor of Printing Impressions called me, I was shocked,” said Gawreluk. “To have my name mentioned with all of those other outstanding individuals is an honor. I’m not letting it get to my head, though—if anything it just makes me want to work harder.”

After graduating from RIT, Gawreluk was hired by online printing company Mimeo as a product manager. Gawreluk spent two years with Mimeo at their Memphis and Berlin offices before Hewlett-Packard’s printing division scooped him up and made him a business analyst.

Although he is currently located in Atlanta, Gawreluk aspires to one day return overseas and pursue his dream of becoming an international business manager.

“I feel very fortunate that I was able to find my passion so early because it really helped me get ahead,” said Gawreluk.

Unlike most people, Gawreluk began his career while he was still in high school. The St. Paul, Minn., native attended Roseville Area High School, which maintains a well-known graphic arts program, and worked for various printing companies over his summer breaks.

In his senior year, he led the school’s student-run printing business to a record $150,000 in sales.

When the time came for Gawreluk to begin applying to colleges, he became interested in RIT due to the recommendations of his printing teacher Brian Hoag.

“Brian always shared with his students that RIT was the leading print media educator in the world and if we took things seriously we could make an impact in the program,” said Gawreluk. “So I flew out to visit during my junior year to check out the campus and I was sold right away.”

At RIT, Gawreluk was instructed on state-of-the-art equipment and continued to expand his print industry knowledge.

He earned two international co-ops with Heidelberg and ran a blog for Printing Impressions throughout his four-year education. Somehow, he also found time to compete every year on the men’s track and cross-country teams.

“RIT was an incredible experience and directly prepared me for the work I do today,” said Gawreluk.

“With the combination of world-class professors, industry-leading equipment and co-ops, RIT uniquely positions students for long-term success year after year. I’m a proud alumnus and I look forward to staying involved with the university.”