October 2, 2025
Jett the SEA Otter is one of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s most beloved team members. Soft and cuddly and dressed in a green scarf and aviator glasses, Jett’s friendly wave and playful spirit have captured the hearts of travelers, the community, and now local students. This year through a partnership with the Port of Seattle, high school students from Highline Public Schools’ Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) brought their own creativity and inspiration to Jett’s story, using their music and multimedia design skills to create fresh, playful takes on SEA’s huggable mascot.
Partnering with Puget Sound Skills Center
Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) is one of 14 skills centers in Washington state, offering high-quality, tuition-free technical and professional training. Operated by Highline Public Schools, PSSC serves students from 22 partner high schools in Highline, Federal Way, Tukwila and Tahoma school districts, providing specialized career and technical learning through 19 programs, from aerospace manufacturing to dental assisting to multimedia design and sound recording.
With the ongoing partnership, the Port helps Highline students explore port-related jobs and introduces them to behind-the-scenes careers they may not have considered. As part of that collaboration, the Port worked with PSSC to introduce multimedia design and sound recording students to creative careers at the Port, blending aviation, communications, and public service.
Port Social Media Manager Abbey Lampert and Port Creative Services Manager Devlin Donnelly worked with PSSC Multimedia Design Instructor Enrique Mora to create assignments and provide instruction, mentorship, and project feedback for students. Port staff members Derek Edamura and Tami Kuiken, shared insights about their roles in videography and managing the airport’s music program.
Students tackled two assignments:
- Animated stickers of Jett the SEA Otter — From anime-inspired Jetts to scenes of the otter flying an airplane, students developed playful variations on the mascot
- Animated SEA logos with custom audio — Multimedia design and sound recording students teamed up to pair motion graphics with “airport sounds”
Learning real-world lessons
“A lot of students join this class thinking they’ll just be artists — but in the real world, art is often commercial. You have to make something that fits in the box. That balance of passion and business is what we focus on,” Mora said.
Throughout the year, Mora develops assignments that mirror professional creative work. He said the Port collaboration gave students an authentic experience of working with a client or an employer and also introduced them to real-life people working in creative fields.
“The Port project was really the culmination of all the small projects we do throughout the year,” he said. “It gave students the chance to work with a real potential client, meet deadlines, and balance their passion for art with the commercial side of creative work. That professional sense helps them grow up and see what it takes to work in the field.”
Creating with purpose
Port staff emphasized that creative work is about more than personal expression.
“When you’re designing for an organization, you want someone to feel something or take action,” Donnelly said. “Seeing students wrestle with the technology to make their vision work was really fun.”
“When you’re working on a project for an organization, it can’t just be what you want. You have to think about brand colors, fonts, and tone,” Lampert explained. “That was a big lesson: balancing creativity with the parameters of working for a client.”
She said it was fun to see what students came up with. “It was fun to see the spectrum — from students who wanted to show Jett doing something realistic to those who just wanted to make him do something really cool.”
For Mora, the project’s greatest value was the confidence, professionalism, and pride students gained.
“The Port project simulated that first job experience and pushed students beyond their comfort zones,” he said. “They had to collaborate across classes, meet deadlines, and deliver work that felt publish-ready. Every student made big jumps in their professionalism, and for some, it was the first time they really saw themselves succeeding in a client-based project. That experience was invaluable for them.”
Looking ahead
The partnership gave the Port an opportunity to showcase creative career paths beyond those traditionally associated with the maritime and aviation industries. More collaborations with PSSC students are planned for the school year, inspiring the next generation of creative professionals.
Subscribe to Connections for news and updates from the Port of Seattle and SEA Airport
