Name: Samantha Corey, Class of 2006
Major: Studio Art
Minor: Art History
UVMConnect: https://uvmconnect.org/user/90d2f60b-415b-4e09-a45a-7018d5c47df7
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-corey-vermont/
1. Looking back on your career journey, have there been any competing priorities or tensions you've had to navigate, such as money vs. meaning, achievement vs. fulfillment, or stability vs. growth? How did you approach those decisions, and what did you learn?
When I was a full-time designer, I saw and felt what constrained resources can do to individuals, teams, and ultimately the work itself. It’s a real challenge across the industry: more for less, tighter budgets, faster turnarounds, and bigger ideas. I saw amazing colleagues burn out and faced burnout myself.
Then COVID hit. I was managing an amazing team, and almost overnight we had to move a completely onsite operation remote, while coordinating across departments and with our partners. It was a lot of work and a lot of pressure, but I discovered something about myself: I loved working with my team to solve the problem.
Together, we developed systems that helped us meet those growing demands. We built something greater than a layout. We built a space where good work could happen. That experience ultimately led me into project management and creative operations.
Today, whether I’m designing a children’s book, planning a marketing campaign, or building a workflow, my goal is the same: help people focus on what really matters and create something greater than any one person could accomplish alone.
My career isn’t the path I would have mapped out at 22, but I’m glad it wasn’t. I’ve built a resilient career and a life I love in Vermont. I’m not a skier, I know, sacrilege, but I can wrap up work early when the weather is good and go kayaking, see amazing performances at Lake Morey, and have enough space to let my dog live his best life.
~ Samantha Corey, Class of 2006
2. Every career path includes roads not taken. Is there a profession, role, or opportunity you thought you might be pursuing by now, or that could have led you somewhere very different? What drew you to it, and how did your decision to build your life and career in Vermont factor into the path you ultimately chose?
I graduated in 2006, and then the recession changed what starting a career looked like. The freedom I had to explore at UVM meant I graduated with knowledge across disciplines, which gave me options when I needed them most. It was a struggle, and it’s easy to look back on it with rose-colored glasses now, but I’m thankful for that foundation and proud of the resilience I built along the way.
Vermont is a funny state. There are opportunities and companies here you wouldn’t expect, along with a network of people who are remarkably willing to help each other. I took a few side quests before becoming a designer full time, and every one gave me knowledge, experience, and connections I never could have planned for. Those experiences taught me to pivot quickly, connect things that may seem unrelated, and approach problems from different directions. Design eventually led me to systems, project management, and creative operations.
My career isn’t the path I would have mapped out at 22, but I’m glad it wasn’t. I’ve built a resilient career and a life I love in Vermont. I’m not a skier, I know, sacrilege, but I can wrap up work early when the weather is good and go kayaking, see amazing performances at Lake Morey, and have enough space to let my dog live his best life.
3. You can order a creemee in any flavor, real or imaginary: what’s your order?
I feel like this has to exist, and I’m on a quest to find it: a Maple Cider Donut Twist. I know you can get a maple creemee on a cider donut, and thank you to the brave souls who developed that combo, but I want the whole thing in creemee form.