Long before Sophia Baltrinic arrived at Christendom College, she knew she wanted creativity to be part of her future. Now in her junior year at the College, Baltrinic has discovered a path for those talents in unexpected places, gaining professional experience in marketing, illustration, and design while taking on creative leadership roles at Christendom.
A lifelong artist, Baltrinic participated in art shows and competitions growing up, earned scholarships for her work, and by her junior year of high school was already considering a career in graphic design or a related field. What she did not know was how to turn that passion into a profession.
“During my junior year of high school, I knew that I wanted to apply my creative talents to a career in graphic design or a similar field, but I didn’t know how to turn that dream into a reality,” says Baltrinic.
As she looked for colleges to attend after high school, she considered schools such as Benedictine College and Hillsdale College, but ultimately decided on Christendom after attending its Best Week Ever high school summer program. After spending a week on campus, she was especially drawn to Christendom’s liberal arts curriculum and Catholic culture, as well as the opportunity to grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. Once she arrived as a freshman, however, she began discovering ways to develop her creative talents professionally as well.
Baltrinic initially planned to spend her freshman year adjusting to the academic and social demands of college rather than taking on an on-campus job. Toward the end of the summer, however, she saw an opening for a social media assistant in Christendom’s Communications and Marketing Office and decided to apply for it. Despite having little experience in social media or marketing, Baltrinic saw a chance to apply her creative abilities in a new way and took the position — an experience that would ultimately introduce her to a potential career path.
“I’ve discovered that I love not only art and design, but writing and storytelling in the field of marketing,” she says. “I could realistically see myself going into either field post-graduation.”
The skills Baltrinic began developing on campus, including creating videos and graphics for social media, have since opened doors beyond Christendom. As a live-event illustrator with an art agency called OC Illustration, she now creates fashion illustrations of guests at weddings and special events, producing personalized artwork that also serves as live entertainment.
Baltrinic has also taken her marketing experience beyond campus through a remote internship with STRIVE3, a creative agency serving nonprofit organizations. As a marketing specialist, she helps design and produce marketing materials, develops short-form video content, and manages social media campaigns for the company and its clients.
That opportunity had a direct connection to her experiences at Christendom. Baltrinic first discovered the internship through Christendom’s internship newsletter, while her experience with social media, video editing, and layout design in the College’s Communications and Marketing Office helped prepare her for the position.
“My work with social media, video editing, and layout design was directly applicable to the internship position,” says Baltrinic. “Many of the industry skills, as well as the interpersonal skills I learned at Christendom, helped me to easily adapt to the new internship and the responsibilities I took on.”
Those skills also led Baltrinic to an unexpected leadership role on campus as well. At the end of her sophomore year, the College’s student-run magazine, Metanoia, needed a new Creative Director. Although Baltrinic had never been part of the magazine’s design team, her experience with Adobe programs and design through the Communications and Marketing Office positioned her to step into the role. Now leading the design team for Metanoia’s Fall 2026 issue, Baltrinic coordinates student designers, delegates responsibilities, provides feedback, and helps keep the magazine’s production on schedule.
All of these professional and creative opportunities have developed alongside Christendom’s demanding academic program. As a history major, Baltrinic has developed skills in research, analysis, writing, and communication that she sees reflected in her professional work, both with Metanoia and her other projects as well. Her study of history has also deepened the way she thinks about the relationship between creativity, culture, and the human experience.
“Just like in marketing, studying history involves a lot of research, analysis, and using lessons from the past to determine the best plan for the future. I also love history because it’s fascinating to see how art inspires culture, and vice versa,” says Baltrinic. “There’s something deep and meaningful in the way humanity has always desired to create lasting pieces of art to reflect their ideas of beauty and the human experience.”
Christendom’s demanding curriculum has challenged Baltrinic, while her relationships with professors have likewise become an important part of her college experience. Initially nervous about approaching them outside of coursework, Baltrinic has since discovered professors eager to engage students in conversations extending beyond the classroom.
“I’ve found it fruitful to have conversations with them about the topics that most interest me, particularly about theology and life’s biggest questions,” she says.
Community has been equally important. The friends Baltrinic made as a freshman remain among her closest friends as a junior, providing another dimension to the formation she has experienced at Christendom.
“One of my favorite parts of dorm life is the ability to live and grow together, through the stress of academics, the joys and difficulties of life, and discovering more of who we are and what lives we wish to lead after graduation,” she says.
Now almost halfway through her junior year, Baltrinic sees the friendships she has formed, the professors who have challenged her, and the opportunities to lead and develop her creative talents all helping prepare her for whatever comes next.
Looking back at the freshman who arrived on campus two years ago, Baltrinic sees not only greater professional experience and a stronger work ethic, but a growing willingness to trust where God may lead her next.
“I think I’ve become much more trusting in God’s providence the more I learn and experience life here at Christendom,” says Baltrinic. “I’m so grateful for the concrete opportunities Christendom has provided me with to experience the creative field firsthand and develop crucial technical and interpersonal skills. I also have much more solace in the fact that no matter what direction my life takes, I can always trust God to give me the strength and willpower to overcome any challenges I face. I hope that my trust deepens the longer I live out this life.”