Announcing Mimi Tin as our First Ever Graduation Commencement Speaker
We are proud and excited to announce that Mimi Tin will give the Commencement address at our first ever graduation on May 30th, 2020, at 10am streamed live on our Facebook Live.
Mimi Tin is a designer, inventor, and entrepreneur who has been creating since the first day she picked up a pencil and a pair of scissors. From the earliest age, Mimi was no stranger to pushing the design limits to realize her visions.
Born in Burma during the rule of a military dictator, Mimi and her family immigrated to the U.S. in search of freedom, and she also found the freedom to use her imagination. As a young child, she was not afforded the luxury of manufactured toys, so she began to transform ordinary paper towel rolls into dolls and dresses and cardboard boxes into buildings and cities. Mimi's creativity was boundless, and her artistic abilities were noted and nurtured throughout her school years.
Mimi was granted a Fine Arts Scholarship to Carson-Newman University in Tennessee, and she went on to pursue a Graduate degree in Environmental Graphic Design at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta.
As a Graphic Designer, Mimi has worked in all areas from Brand Identity creation to implementation. Her client roster is impressive and has included work with Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Samsung, Sony, Chick-fil-A, SPANX, Johnson & Johnson, and Olympic Games across three continents.
Mimi returned to the Portfolio Center to share her experience and love for design, and taught Olympic Branding and Retail Branding classes for over 15 years. She created the 3D modeling curriculum at the school, and many of her students have gone on to become internationally awarded Designers and Creative Directors.
Mimi developed two flourishing startups with the mission to bring "Humor, Joy & Laughter" into everyday life. Sushi Style is a whimsical, modern Collection of Furniture and Home Accessories, and The BeLOVED Life is a Collection of inspirational plush pillows designed to help kids feel valued, safe, and loved.
Mimi’s designs have been featured in outlets ranging from the Today Show to Seventeen Magazine, from Architectural Digest to HGTV, who featured her Pinewood Forest home. She was named “Young Designer on a Roll” by The New York Times.
**Please note, only our current High School students, families, governing board, and staff will be able to attend the graduation ceremony in person in order to practice safe social distancing. We will livestream the event on our Facebook page and hope that you will join us there!