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She’s got art, she’s got rhythm—who could ask for anything more?

Lily Schnipke embraced her passions during her four years at ��ɫ����TV University, and she couldn’t have asked for a more fulfilling experience, she says.

An introvert, she has learned how to express herself in bold and creative ways through graphic design and tap dance.

Now, she’s ready to embark on a professional career in graphic design, aiming for a corporate or agency position. But first, she plans to participate in an advanced tap dance course at the Chicago Tap Theatre in July.

The youngest of 11 children from Miller City, Ohio, Lily is the only one in her family to pursue an artistic path. From a young age, she saw the world through a designer’s lens, critiquing the color, form, and shape of everything from signs to brochures.

Each morning at ONU, she jump-started her creativity by practicing tap in the Freed Center. She is going to dearly miss beginning each day with a scenic walk across campus and dancing.

Lily’s talents shined on stage at the Freed Center for the Performing Arts, where she danced in productions like the Holiday Spectacular as a toy soldier. For her senior capstone project, she merged her passions by designing a custom typeface inspired by the rich history of tap dance.

Her design work has also received national accolades. Her project “Plastic Kills,” created for her Design for Social Change course, won an “American Graphic Design USA” award—a prestigious honor given to just 10% of the more than 8,000 entries.

“I wanted to use bold imagery to show the harm that plastic straws cause to wildlife,” she said.

“Design and dance have the same things in common—flow, contrast, and energy,” she said. “It’s been so wonderful to be able communicate visually through my designs, and physically through dance.”

Congratulations Lily, Class of 2025! The next chapter of your adventure lies ahead—may it be filled with creativity and inspiration.