Our Team

Design Mentors

Our Design Mentors are current college and graduate art and design students and specialist counselors who offer real, first‑hand insight into today’s creative fields. They share practical knowledge about courses, studio culture, internships, job opportunities, and emerging industry trends—giving you an inside look at what it’s really like to study and work in your chosen discipline.

You’ll have the chance to meet with a mentor who specializes in the area of art or design you want to pursue, giving you the chance to ask questions, learn from their experiences, and gain clarity about your path forward.

Natalia Trevino Amaro Fashion Design

Natalia graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with an AAS in Fashion Design. She participated in the international program and spent her first year at Polimoda in Florence, Italy, and her final year studying in NYC. She currently runs a self-titled company, creating handmade clothing and accessories with an emphasis on sustainability. She also posts videos on YouTube about life, business, fashion school experiences, Q&As, and a lot more! If Natalie is not sewing or editing videos, she is most likely playing piano, reading, or hanging out with her dog.

Isa Hanssen Animation, Storyboarding, Character Design

Isa Hanssen is a narrative artist (storyboard and comics), indie game developer, and occasional writer. She is a Filipino/Mexican/American artist who loves magical girls and mundane mythological weirdness.

Isa studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she produced several films about girls fighting and two games about the apocalypse. She has since worked for Tic Toc Games Studios and BOOM! Studios and attended the Cartoon Network Story Academy.

Tommy Cheng Animation

Tommy Cheng is a Boston-based 2D animator specializing in Character Animation. He graduated from Lesley University in 2019 and joined Poke Gravy Studios, a boutique firm. Since then, Tommy has worked on various projects for clients such as Billy Ray Cyrus and Boston Children’s Hospital, ranging from music videos to educational films. Tommy earned an MFA in Animation from SMFA/Tufts University.

Artistically, Tommy is drawn to narrative-based works with robust, clear messaging. He is a voracious reader, a dedicated consumer of film and television, and a foodie with an insatiable appetite.

Veronica Drescher  Animation

Veronica Drescher is a 3D and 2D animator and storyboard artist. She is currently studying 3D Animation at Ringling College of Art and Design. Veronica often produces animated shorts that involve animals in funny situations. She is inspired by her pets’ antics and the world around her.

When she isn’t animating, Veronica spends time with her cats, explores the outdoors, or seeks inspiration from books, media, and games.

Brandy Fransen Graphic Design

Brandy Fransen has worked in international higher education and admissions for over twenty years. She was raised as a third-culture kid in Latin America before attending art school in the US. Brandy has a BFA in Graphic Design and worked as a designer before transitioning to international admission.

Brandy was formerly the Director of International Admission at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she led workshops and conducted portfolio development tutorials. She has conducted hundreds of interviews and portfolio reviews with art school applicants. She later worked as Director of Operations at Linden Educational Services, leading educational tours in China and India. Brandy is currently the Senior Associate Director of International Admission at Rollins College. She has advised students seeking guidance and portfolio curation for the past five years.

Lauren Gaston Costume Design, Illustration

Lauren Gaston (she/her) works as a costume designer, illustrator, and entrepreneur. Her work has been featured by The Juilliard School and Time Lapse Dance in NYC, and the A.A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum in Russia. She is a co-creator of The Sustainable Production Toolkit, and a former LMCC Arts Center artist-in-residence, where she explored ways to animate and activate the climate movement on Governors Island. Most recently, Lauren served as Interim Director at the Broadway Green Alliance in NYC.

Umut Guney Architecture

Umut is an architectural designer with a strong academic foundation and a global perspective. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture with high distinction from Syracuse University and his Master of Architecture from Yale University. He has interned at leading architecture firms in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Istanbul, gaining experience across diverse design environments.

Umut has long been committed to supporting younger designers. He served as a peer advisor at the Syracuse University School of Architecture and worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant for first‑year architecture students. He shares, “In my experiences, I realized that I enjoy advising younger students as I learn from their questions and thoughts.”

Since graduating, Umut has collaborated on an exhibition in Berlin, participated as a guest critic for a design studio review, and continued to expand his creative practice. The pandemic pushed him to explore new modes of making and adapt his design process in meaningful ways. He is currently a Designer at MADE Design/Build, where he contributes to projects that integrate architecture, craftsmanship, and thoughtful design.

Iris Xie Graphic Design, Illustration

Iris Xie is a graphic designer with a strong interdisciplinary practice rooted in illustration, typography, and traditional animation. She graduated in 2023 from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a BFA in Graphic Design, where she also served as Creative Director at the Brown Political Review and as a Resident Advisor for RISD Residence Life.

Beyond campus, Iris built a diverse professional portfolio through design internships and freelance work for clients including Nickelodeon, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Black Math, Inc. Her creative work spans narrative animation, comics, book design, editorial illustration, and branding systems, all driven by a blend of sharp conceptual thinking and a distinctive visual voice.

Iris is currently a Creative Designer at NoGood in New York, where she continues to develop thoughtful, compelling design solutions across a wide range of projects.

Abigail Zola Interior Architecture

Abigail Zola is a designer, researcher, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her BFA in Interior Architecture from the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and a Master’s of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. While at RISD, Abigail worked at the Arts and Language Center, where she assisted students from across grade levels, skill levels, and disciplines with written, verbal, and visual work, including the composition of artist statements and portfolio design. Abigail has prior experience working in architecture and design studios and is highly familiar with representing artistic concepts and intent through portfolio, presentations, and written materials.