Colorcorp’s Sarah Kennedy has been awarded the LIA-Heidelberg Queensland Graduate of the Year at an awards night in South Bank, Brisbane.
Kennedy says, “It is a pretty big honour, even just to be nominated. I am very grateful.
“My father ran a small-time printing company when I was younger. I have always been interested in computers and technology. From IT in highschool I went into design. From seek I found a prepress apprenticeship, which I thought was a great way to get my foot in the door.”
When asked what advice she would give to people entering print, Kennedy offered, “Listen to your peers. And remember there are multiple ways of doing tasks in the industry. Even if you are learning, if you think there is a better way of accomplishing a task or job, voice your opinion.
“Your own ideas, knowledge, and experience might be offer something different than someone that has been in the industry for much longer.
“Keep at it. You have to put in the effort, time, and be patient.”
More than 100 guests attended the ceremony, which also included the PIAA QLD Early Stage Apprenticeship Awards.
The judges say they had a difficult time finalising the awards, as the quality of the candidates had risen to a new level.
Lauren White of Greenridge Press was the runner up, with Kennedy also beating David McDowall, Printcraft; Jeremy Nichol, APN; and Jeffrey Zielke, Inprint.
Kennedy will now face off with Sarah Burgett of Spatial Services, the NSW Graduate of the Year, at the LIA-Visual Connections National Graduate Award, held biannually, which includes a $15,000 prize to be used on travel and education, for the winning graduate to gain knowledge and bring it back to Australia.
Brendan Pearce, vice president Queensland, LIA says, “The discussion on selecting winners this year was as tough as it gets. The quality of the contenders made it extremely difficult to split them.”
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