Meet Jasper Vedral: Bringing Creativity and Storytelling to Touchstone Foundation
At Touchstone Foundation, our interns bring new perspectives, talents, and experiences that strengthen how we communicate our mission and connect with the community. This summer, we are excited to welcome Jasper Vedral, an illustrator and graduate of Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, who brings a passion for visual storytelling, creative communication, and mental health advocacy to our team.
Jasper is no stranger to Touchstone Foundation. After previously contributing their talents to one of our creative projects, they are returning to gain additional professional experience while helping us develop communications and visual resources that support youth mental wellness throughout Lancaster County.
A Passion for Art and Storytelling
Jasper graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and primarily works in digital painting. Their path toward illustration began with a childhood love of comics and storytelling.
“I was always a storyteller as a child, creating my own fictional worlds, characters, and plots,” Jasper shared.
With encouragement from their family, Jasper pursued an artistic career. Although their career path ultimately expanded beyond becoming a comic artist, storytelling remains central to their creative process.
“I still strive to create narrative in my art.”
That ability to communicate ideas visually will be an asset throughout Jasper’s internship as they contribute to projects that translate complex topics and program information into approachable, engaging resources for young people and the broader community.
Returning to Touchstone Foundation
Jasper’s relationship with Touchstone Foundation began during a previous internship when they joined several local illustrators in helping design pages for Touchstone’s all-ages coloring book.
“It was a fun project I still hold in high regard, as it offered valuable professional experience for my field,” Jasper said.
The experience also introduced Jasper to Touchstone Foundation’s mission and our work supporting youth mental wellness. Jasper connected personally with the importance of creating environments where young people can talk about their emotions, find support, and better understand their mental well-being.
Their return to Touchstone provides an opportunity to build on that initial creative collaboration while experiencing another side of nonprofit communications and community engagement.
Exploring a Future in Nonprofit Communications
During their internship, Jasper hopes to strengthen their communication skills and gain a better understanding of what it means to work within a nonprofit organization.
“I am interested in working for nonprofits in the future, either in a social media role or in another capacity,” Jasper shared.
Through hands-on projects, Jasper will have opportunities to explore how their background in illustration can translate into graphic design, visual communications, social media, program materials, and mission-driven storytelling. The experience will also allow them to consider career paths that combine artistic skills with communications and community impact.
Using Communication to Challenge Mental Health Stigma
One area of mental health advocacy that is particularly important to Jasper is reducing stigma surrounding neurodivergence and mental health conditions.
Jasper sees greater understanding and education as essential to helping people feel more comfortable discussing their experiences and seeking support when they need it.
“A lack of understanding leads to misunderstanding and mischaracterization, which itself leads to many never seeking professional help, dismissing their mental well-being,” Jasper said. “Mental health isn’t something that should be shunned or ignored. It’s an important factor in everyone’s life, and I hope to spread more mindfulness in my time here at Touchstone.”
This perspective will help inform Jasper’s work as they learn how thoughtful design and communications can make mental health information more accessible, inclusive, and engaging for different audiences.
Beyond the Canvas
When Jasper isn’t illustrating or developing their professional skills, their creativity continues through another favorite pastime: tabletop gaming.
Jasper is an avid fan of games including Dungeons & Dragons, Daggerheart, and Lancer, among others. They also enjoy collecting model kits and have built an extensive collection.
We’re pleased to welcome Jasper back to Touchstone Foundation in this new capacity and look forward to the creativity they will contribute to our communications and program materials. Through this experience, we hope Jasper continues developing a professional path that brings together their strengths in art, storytelling, communications, and community impact.
