2015 Graduate, Lilli Collingwood shares her journey from Suncoast to the University of Sunshine Coast and to New York City.
Would you like to share anything about your Suncoast experience?
Some of my greatest memories were made during my time at Suncoast. The thing I loved most about it though was the community and the support of the teachers and staff. The intentionality behind everything they do and always making sure everyone felt cared for and supported is something that you don’t just find anywhere. I really do believe Suncoast influenced me to be who I am today.
Your career or personal highlights since graduating?
Since graduating from Suncoast, I studied Design and Communication at USC (University of Sunshine Coast), which I then graduated in 2018. During my time at USC, I travelled to Hong Kong to meet with industry professionals in the field of design, and also travelled to Borneo in Malaysia to work on design projects for the Sun Bear and Orangutan Centres.
After finishing my degree, an unexpected opportunity presented itself after a solo trip to New Zealand. Long story short, I met a stranger at a bus stop in a small town in New Zealand, he told me about his daughter who was also a designer, working for a place called the Museum of Ice Cream in New York City, and told me to look it up. During this entire conversation, I thought he was joking; but he wasn’t. I was super curious about it so I googled it, found their website, went onto their careers page, saw a graphic design internship, and applied without thinking much of it. From that, I received an email back, had a few skype interviews, and was offered the position. So I made the leap at the start of 2019 to begin this new venture, and I have been working here ever since.
During my time at Museum of Ice Cream, my personal highlight was being given the opportunity to design an ice cream truck that appeared in Times Square on our segment in Good Morning America. It was definitely a “pinch me is this real” moment.
Share what you are doing now?
Right now, I’m still living and working in New York City. I am the lead designer for the Museum of Ice Cream and have been working on new digital campaigns and launches for the company.
What are your plans for the future?
I am not much of a planner, after what has happened in the last 2 years… but right now I am actively transitioning into creative ministry and would ideally like to be doing that full time in the future. I also think that I will be in the United States for a while longer, I’m just not ready to leave yet. And obviously, I would love to be married with kids, but that time will come, so, for now, I’m just living large and making the most of what I’ve been given.
Lilli reflecting on her Suncoast experience
