Alumna Kristen Sanzari brings your favorite animated characters to life designing toys for Mattel.

As a graphic design student at Cal Poly, Kristen Sanzari (BFA in Art and Design, Graphic Design Concentration ’11) dreamed of working in animation for a company like Disney or Pixar, bringing characters and stories to life.

Now, more than 10 years later, she’s doing just that — through her work as a toy designer at Mattel.

Sanzari, who also earned a master’s degree in visual development for animation from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, was working as a graphic designer and illustrator when she saw a job listing at Mattel.

Read the full article in Cal Poly Magazine.