Jesuit High School has had many student-artists come and go, but none are more iconic to the Jesuit scene than Jake Melavic ’16, whose art can be seen all around campus.

Jake’s artistic career began in elementary school and continues to this day. Currently, Jake takes an intermediate digital art class at California State University, Sacramento. His latest short film, Empty, was released just a few months ago.

“Empty is about a cyan cephalopod named ‘Gus’ who is imprisoned in an abstract void without any time or continuity,” said Jake. “Gus spends the entirety of the film trying to escape from the void and into the free world using only what he has. The message is about will power, which is what the character needs to advance through the various obstacles.”

While at Jesuit, Jake worked with the school to create posters for student events like Movie Night as well as cover art and several comic strips to The Plank. Jake’s time and experience helped him to become the artist he is today.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Novinsky ’72 for encouraging me to explore my options and for being a supporter by keeping my past stuff for show,” said Jake. “I’d also like to thank Mr. Trafton ’84 for allowing me to expose my stuff for the musicals and teaching us the types of arcs of a hero’s journey.”

Jake models elements of his short film after elements from Mr. Trafton’s Senior English class, Hero’s Journey. Mr. Trafton also helped to give Jake his own spotlight to show his talents.

“Jake is such a nice and creative guy, and we so enjoyed working with him in Jesuit Drama,” said Mr. Trafton. “He has a unique perspective, and that, combined with his skill-set, is going to get him places.”

Much like the influence of Mr. Trafton, Mr. Novinsky helped Jake perfect his art skills and spread Jake’s art throughout Jesuit’s campus.

“Jake’s style and vision were unique, personal, and advanced,” said Mr. Novinsky. “I guided Jake more than anything; his effort and talent were quite noteworthy.”

With a variety of staff members to help him and a multitude of contributions to campus life, Jake Melavic is an example of a Jesuit student who can make a lasting impact, even years after graduating.

“I think Jesuit does well in exposing the talent of students in any field, whether it’s art, sports, public speaking, et cetera,” said Jake. “If you ever take the time to ask an instructor or a club member about how you could make your ability useful, they won’t hesitate in finding a perfect spot for it to shine.”

Jesuit has helped students like Jake to embrace their artistic side and use their talents to contribute to the vast community of the school. Whether you’re inexperienced, seeking to grow in skill, or a seasoned veteran, Jesuit welcomes students like Jake to grow and share their talent.