My entire life, I unknowingly prepared to be a designer. Before I knew what a color pallet was, my mother had me coordinating my hues rather than matching them. I didn’t bother with dolls or ponies growing up; my idea of fun was making party invitations and walking the half-mile driveway in my aunt’s red pumps (which were 5 sizes too large) to put my design in the mailbox. In fifth grade, my classmates were paying me to create unique signatures to use at the top of their homework.

And now I’m addicted to design. It has become more than a hobby – it is a passion. My entire outlook on life was altered from the day I stepped into my first graphics class at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Now, I RSVP “no” to weddings with horribly designed invitations. I recite key shortcuts in my sleep. I rip down any poster I see made with Papyrus. I can’t productively grocery shop – halfway through my trip I forget about my grocery list and start making impulse buys on clever and interesting packaging design – two hours later, I get home with a bag of apples, nine bottles of wine, and whichever cereal has the most intriguing game on the back of the box. I can’t order from a menu until after the design is properly critiqued and I plan my Super Bowl Parties around the commercials.

In December 2012, I will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design with minors in Advertising and Art History. I have a passion for taking ordinary concepts, tweaking them a bit, and making them fresh and innovative.

I am Elle (pronounced like the letter, spelled like the magazine.) I am a hard-working, detail-oriented, enthusiastic, innovative, fresh, organized, driven, award-winning, descriptive, prepared, inventive, fanatical, original, daring, committed, passionate designer, with a kick-ass thesaurus.