Babylon resident Lisa Marie Carroll grew up in an artistic household and has a portfolio filled with her paintings, drawings and prints. But when she was deciding on a college major, she chose to study textiles because she thought it was a more practical field that would lead to a good job.

As she prepared to graduate from the University of Rhode Island on May 18, Carroll ended up with the best of both worlds­— an exciting job in the home design field and a once-in-a-lifetime semester in Italy studying art and fashion.

"I put a lot of effort into trying to find my niche in my major, including doing independent studies with a design professor," Carroll said. "I discovered that my niche is interior design. As I took apparel classes, I found I was more interested in design as structures or sculptures, so home design is more of what I like." Her trip to Italy in the spring of 2007 helped further refine her interests while also providing a rich and historic background for her artistic studies. Upon returning to URI, Carroll was hired as an intern at the headquarters of Bed Bath & Beyond on Long Island . In between her travels and her internship, Carroll started a mentoring program at the URI Women's Cen­ter called We're Offering Women Wisdom (WOWW), which is an alternative to Greek life and helps women students get involved with philanthropic and commu­nity

service projects around campus. She also worked for three years as a resident assistant providing guid­ance to freshmen students.

Following a two month break after graduation - dur­ing which she will help with orientation for incoming URI students and their families—Carroll will begin working full-time for Bed Bath & Beyond as an as­sistant buyer.