Alumni Spotlight: Jessica Che

Jessica Che, left, and Allison McCarty prepare for their Commencement ceremony

Over the past 110 years, more than 200,000 individuals have graduated from Webster University around the world.

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Meet Jessica Che, who earned a BA in Animation from Webster in 2026 and recently entered a film, created alongside her brother, into the annual St. Louis Filmmaking Showcase, which ran July 17-26, 2026, at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

What enticed you to choose Webster for your degree?

As high school was coming to an end, I was still trying to decide what career I wanted to pursue. I felt social and familial pressure to pursue a conventional, financially stable job. However, in my heart, I knew I wanted to be an animator.

The determining factor was Webster's location. It was only about a 10-minute commute from where I live. When I took a tour, I continuously heard the same word used by staff and students to describe its atmosphere: homey. Big crowds were never my scene, so I felt Webster would be a nice fit for me.

What stood out about your studies at Webster?

One of the most memorable experiences I had during my studies at Webster was creating my thesis film, "Ladybeetle." My little brother, John, and I worked closely on the film together. He was only a freshman when I asked if he could help work on my senior film. I'm familiar with how talented he is, and I undoubtedly knew he would stay by my side to take on the daunting task of creating a half-hour-long animated film.

John and I tried to do the majority of the work ourselves to prove that you don't need a huge production team to share your story. John mainly focused on editing, and I focused on animation. This meant working on "Ladybeetle" as often as possible while constantly trying to balance school, work and our personal lives.

I work as a server at a restaurant, and between taking orders, bussing tables and cleaning the restaurant, I would animate and draw backgrounds for “Ladybeetle.” Luckily, my manager was super sweet about it!

In the early stages of "Ladybeetle," I was still trying to determine which software to use for the animation. Naturally, I presumed most companies would prefer that I use the industry-standard software, Toon Boom Harmony, since it would demonstrate the experience and fluency they're looking for. I remember going to the Toon Boom Harmony website to purchase a subscription, and I was flabbergasted to see that the recommended plan was over $1,000 per year. My broke, college student brain was utterly in shock, but in my heart, I knew that animation was never about money and shouldn't only be accessible to those who can afford it. So I took the risk. I decided not to use industry-standard software to animate. Instead, I wanted to prove that anyone can make a film — even if you only have an iPad and a little brother. That's why the 2D animation in “Ladybeetle” was completely done using ToonSquid, a $9.99 app on my iPad.

What is something valuable you have learned during your career?

Be selfish. Do what you want to do, not solely because it will look good for your portfolio or because you need to be efficient, but instead, do what you want to do because you’re truly passionate about it. When you ground your motivation in something beyond yourself, you'll have to chase it the moment you become unmotivated just to convince yourself of a reason why you want to keep going. If you create what you want because you are genuinely passionate about it, then you can pause and reconnect with yourself to be reminded of why you started. I found that creating often grows dreadful when we are only doing it for an outward exchange. For instance, pouring time and energy into a project you don't resonate with just for some credibility.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

The commuter lounge. I fondly look back on my freshman year of college when I would stay there and hang out with my friends to pass the time between our classes. In my senior year, my close friends, Tara Wang and Laurel Delk, both very talented artists and the sweetest people I know, would sit there and debrief about our week and plan our next hangout. It also had the coziest lighting, so I'm giving it bonus points!

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

John and I had entered "Ladybeetle" into the St. Louis Filmmaker's Showcase. It was kindly accepted for screening at the event. The film was awarded Best Animation and is now moving on to screen at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November. I'm grateful and have met many wonderful people during the showcase. I was deeply touched when people came up to me after the screening and shared their stories and how the film made them feel. That was the very moment I felt all the sacrifices we had made for the film were undoubtedly worth it. Additionally, these stories and moments of connection encouraged me to continue moving forward with animation and storytelling.