Larry Licup
Graphic Designer, MCI Creative
1. How long have you worked for MCI and what did you do beforehand?
I’ve been a graphic designer at MCI USA since February 2020, right before the pandemic started. I’ve been working as a graphic designer since 1996, right out of college. I graduated from the Art institute of Philadelphia and started working at Bell Atlantic (now Verizon) and worked my way up. Then in 2009 I got married, and my wife and I moved to Maryland, where we still live. I picked up my bachelor’s degree around 2010 from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and then worked for a company called MileOne until 2019. I’m happy to be where I am now.
2. What keeps you interested in graphic design after all these years?
It’s what I wanted to do even when I was a kid. I always loved drawing, but in high school I realized that it wasn’t a viable career path, so I looked into other artistic options. My parents really wanted me to do something else, but I said I wanted to try the ‘art thing’ first. If it didn’t work out, I thought I’d go be a dentist or something. But 25 years later, this ‘art thing’ is still going strong.
College is where I learned more about graphic design and how it impacts everything we see. Graphic design keeps evolving, and with all of the technology we use now, it’s so much different than when I was in college and first learning about it. Now you have to not just draw but learn interface design and web development, and the technology is continuously evolving. I’m still learning, and on our design team, we’re all still learning from each other. To me, it feels like if you’re not learning anything new and are stagnant, that’s when you have to reevaluate your career. So I’m glad to be in a place where I’m constantly learning and trying new things.
3. What is your favorite part about working at MCI?
I enjoy the variety of projects and working with different clients. Within the creative team, everyone is so supportive and helpful. I feel comfortable reaching out to anyone on our team for help or clarification and know that they won’t look down on me for it. Everyone understands and is on the same page, so it’s great to have that support system.
4. How are you spending the holidays this year?
When I started at MCI and found out that I would have the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, my wife and I were excited because we thought we’d be able to visit her family in the Philippines that week. However, because of COVID, we didn’t get to go last year, so we are super excited to finally go this year!
We’re seeing my parents and siblings in Delaware on Christmas Day and then staying in the Philippines for three weeks. There’s a lot of protocols and hoops to jump through in order to keep safe COVID-wise, but we’re really excited to see family again.
When we’re with my family, we usually do a mix of traditional American and Filipino food, and then when we’re overseas, I can’t wait to have some authentic Filipino Lechon, which is a roasted pig, and one of my favorites.
5. What else do you like to do in your spare time?
I have a lot of interests – I used to DJ and am a fan of 90s hip-hop, soul, house, electronic and everything in between. My wife and I also watch Jeopardy! during the week and I’m back to binge-watching Seinfeld. During the pandemic we got really into America’s Test Kitchen, and I learned to cook. It’s probably one of the positive things that has helped us during this pandemic.
I also like to run a few times a week, and along that same line, I collect shoes and have close to a hundred or so. There are some that I keep close, like a pair of Air Jordan 1’s (BREDs) from 2001, original Kobe’s, and some of those Nike Dunk SBs. I try to wear the shoes in my collection when I can, because what’s the point in having something that you’re not going to wear? Especially, because I learned the hard way that some of them just fall apart in time and then having to throw them out is tough to swallow. If I have a pair that I’m not feeling anymore, I’ll just sell or trade and then move on to the next pair. There will always be another pair of shoes out there and I’ve come to the reality that I won’t get every pair too.
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