* Everyone always asks why I go by Vivi (Vee-Vee).
My Vietnamese name is Thao Vy, and when I was a child, I had a speech impediment where I was unable to pronounce my full name. I consistently said "Vivi," and it just stuck throughout my life. At this point, more people call me by my nickname than my legal name!
Hello,
A bit of my life story:
My name is Stephanie, but I go by Vivi*. I am a Vietnamese-American graphic design student with experience in the professional field, trained in multiple programs and mediums. I was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland in one of the most diverse communities. At an early age, I was exposed to incredible museums in DC, where I fell in love with the arts.
My first taste of the digital arts was in middle school where I went to Loiederman Magnet School for the Arts. I proceeded to continue my studies in the Fine Arts until I was introduced to Thomas Edison High School of Technology in my junior year where I enrolled in the Printing Technologies & Digital Graphics course. This was where I learned the most in the field and made many connections that have gotten me where I am today. By the end of my high school career, I was PrintEd+ and Adobe certified with much knowledge in how the industry was run.
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Starting college with a concentration in Graphic Design, I quickly realized I was far ahead of the rest of my peers due to Edison. There were certain classes where I was ahead of even my professor, and helped advise in the Adobe programs. While it was too late for myself, I was able to help establish an articulation with my former high school for students to earn college credit when passing the program.
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I got my first job in the industry for Muddy Feet Graphics in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was the most perfect first graphics job I could've asked for because the shop did everything from small projects like yard signs, business cards and apparel right up to large scale projects like lit store front signage and vehicle graphics. Since the shop was small, I worked first hand with every department and learned in all mediums. I was able to learn skills in the trade, watch how a small business is run, and how to make lasting connections. Since then, I've continued learning and growing as the designer for a handful of different companies in the DMV.