Johnathan Warner

Johnathan Warner , Arts & Humanities

Enrolling at Lewiston Auburn College was a natural step for Johnathan Warner of New Gloucester.

Warner, who was home-schooled as a child, first came to LAC at age 15 to fulfill high school graduation requirements through the Early Studies program. He found the environment rigorous, but inviting.

“Older students were great. They were like, ‘You’re 15? What are you doing here?’” Warner says. “I can get along with anyone, so it’s been a great experience. Everyone brings something to class discussions.”

Soon he began taking courses toward a bachelor’s degree. He’ll graduate at age 20 with a degree in Arts and Humanities.

“Arts and Humanities is a great major for understanding a variety of subjects, such as history, philosophy, art, and writing,” Warner says. “You learn to communicate, and communicate well.”

For Warner, successful communication has taken rather creative forms. His artwork was recently on display in LAC’s Atrium Art Gallery, and he’s discovered a talent for writing. For an art appreciation course, he’s adapted a short story into a “brick film,” or a stop-motion animation created with Lego figures, a Web cam, and software developed for the genre. It’s a full-fledged production: Warner wrote the script, designed and built a set, provided voiceover, and scored a soundtrack. And it’s an impressive item in a growing portfolio he hopes will help launch a writing career.

“I’ve met some amazing people, and the professors are great,” he says. “I’m just very comfortable here. It didn’t make sense to go anywhere else.”