Student Equipment Services Staff

Gina Brinker, Manager, Student Equipment Services

Gina Brinker has staffed the media equipment cages at the Metropolitan and Western campuses for more than 20 years, working her way up from a work-study student to the Collegewide manager of Student Equipment Services.

Brinker earned two associate degrees from Tri-C before moving on to Full Sail University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in digital cinematography. She also earned a master's certificate in instructional design.

Having taught for a few years, she encourages Tri-C students to embrace education — with all its challenges — and to push through into their futures.

Devin Whitehouse, Lead Media Arts Technician

Devin Whitehouse earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a concentration in Stage Management.

Driven by a deep curiosity for behind-the-scenes operations, Whitehouse has cultivated a strong foundation in lighting and production while also exploring various facets of filmmaking. Her favorite aspect of working in the Student Equipment Cage is helping students bring their creative visions to life.

Dominic Blythwood, Media Arts Technician

Dominic Blythewood took a more difficult path than most to reach academic success. 23 years removed from taking his first college course, Dominic returned to Tri C and graduated with an Associate of Applied Business degree in Film and Media Arts in 2026.

During his pursuit of earning the degree, Dominic was very active at the College. He completed a sports broadcast truck training, where he was a camera operator for several men's and women's basketball games and soccer games. He earned a certificate for film editing. Dominic created many projects and short films that have been shown at film screenings. He became a part of the student production office, where he gained valuable knowledge and hands-on experience in the corporate world of media, as well as working for the prestigious event, Jazzfest.

Dominic has been a freelance photographer and videographer for over 18 years. Today, Dominic creates his own films and projects while also using his years of experience to help students in need.

Jesika Orahoske, Media Arts Technician

Jesika Orahoske grew up in Garfield Heights. In her senior year, she wrote that she wanted to be a professional photographer. But with a talent for typing at a speed of 95 words per minute, she decided to pursue a career in medical transcription after graduation. Orahoske did not seriously consider photography as a career until she realized that a "normal" nine-to-five job wasn't her gig.

On impulse, she quit her job and purchased a camera that same day. She decided to take courses at Tri-C as a networking opportunity.

Before graduating from Tri-C, she threw herself to the sharks in the commercial world, competing for assistant jobs. Her first gig was with the Kalman & Pabst Photo Group. Upon graduation, she became a regular assistant with BurkleHagen Studio.

Outside of the commercial world, she enjoys working in multiple facets of photography and has grown a large network.

She continues to work at Tri-C to give back to the community. In the near future, Orahoske will create opportunities for Tri-C students to assist her.

Francia Sweeney, Media Arts Technician

Francia Sweeney graduated from Tri-C with an Associate of Arts in 2019 focused on film and music. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in anthropology from Cleveland State University. After her journey through undergrad, she fell back in love with filmmaking and integrated it into her cultural anthropology studies through documentary-style videos.

She loves working with media equipment and learning new things every day. She hopes to use these skills while continuing her studies around the world.