At an early age, Corridan’s father introduced her to Photoshop igniting her passion for design and creativity.

“Being able to edit photos and create personalized masterpieces seemed like the coolest thing in the world,” Corridan said.

By the time she was 12 years old, she had taught herself how to use the program, turning a fun hobby into a lasting passion. From designing logos to creating birthday cards and even making funny memes for friends she found joy in bringing ideas to life.

“When I thought about possible majors and careers, graphic design was something I could see myself doing and enjoying,” Corridan said.

In high school, Corridan volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which sparked her interest in nonprofit work. This made the opportunity to work for Special Olympics Connecticut feel like a natural fit.

“It was the perfect opportunity to gain valuable career experience while giving back to the community at the same time,” said Corridan.

As the health and wellness assistant'at Special Olympics Connecticut, Corridan's responsibilities surround flier creation, social media content creation, volunteer coordination and event planning and support.

"I really enjoy my time at the Special Olympics. It doesn’t really feel like a job because I work with great people doing what I enjoy," said Corridan. "It is very rewarding to know that my work is making an impact on the community. In the future, I hope to continue working for Special Olympics and other nonprofits."

Corridan applies her graphic and interactive design studies to her work at Special Olympics Connecticut, using contrast, color and hierarchy to create visually engaging materials. She emphasizes the importance of brand identity, ensuring all designs align with Special Olympics' specific style and guidelines.

“Something that I learned about in my advertising classes was branding. When companies have a cohesive brand identity, it makes them stand out,” said Corridan. “The Special Olympics has a very distinct style, and I make sure that all of the content that I make for them follows their brand guidelines. That means using specific colors, typefaces, logos, and elements,” she added.

Experimentation, trial and error and feedback are some of the few pointers Corridan offers to students looking to breakthrough in the graphic design field.

“The best way to gain skills is to experiment. Even if you don’t think your designs are portfolio-worthy, make them anyway,” said Corridan. “You learn so much through trial and error, and I find that I learn the most through projects that I just did for fun. Doodle, draw, Photoshop, code; whatever you enjoy doing, do it because that experience is so useful.

Corridan is proud of all she's accomplished, from being a 3+1 accelerated dual-degree graphic and interactive design and advertising and integrative communications double major and film and television minor, to maintaining her standing in the honors program, to being an active member of seven different clubs: American Sign Language Club, WQAQ, Quinnipiac Tonight, Paw Pals, AIGA, Quinnipiac Film Society and Lightsaber Dueling Club.