If you were to ask Natalie Bryan what her first love was, she’ll tell you that ever since her childhood, she’s loved art – and that love of art is what landed her in print.
Bryan explains that in her third year of college at Lewis University, she decided to switch from majoring in biology to graphic design.
“Ever since I could pick up a pencil, I was sketching and drawing, and painting. The only reason I didn’t pursue that for college is because I was a traditional artist, and how many people can make money drawing and painting,” Bryan says. “But I realized in that third year that college is my opportunity to learn and to try different things and see what’s out there. So, I took the leap and changed majors and wound up loving it.”
Since taking the leap into graphic design, Bryan is now the digital print coordinator at United Engravers in Schaumburg, Illinois. Bryan explains she landed the role through “passive networking.”
Bryan describes herself as someone who likes to keep her head down and do her work the best she can, and in school, her hard work paid off. She was awarded a senior recognition award for her success and contribution to graphic design – it was this she believes helped get her an interview with United Engravers.
“So [winning the award] kind of blew me away. I always think of myself as someone who isn’t recognized for those reasons. I tend to keep my head down, and I just worked really hard. But because of that, I think my professor was trying to keep an eye out for me,” Bryan says.
So, as Bryan approached graduation, her professor recommended her to United Engravers, who at the time, was looking to hire recent graduates.
Read the full story on Wide-Format Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
