Hear straight from our graduates.
Regardless of the situation we were faced with in regards to the pandemic, the teachers made every day a truly unforgettable one!
Freelance Designer for Film and TV
Michelle Crocker
Why Shillington? You were already working in design before the course, why did you chose to jump back into studying?
I never really knew what I wanted to do. My course at university was very broad and I really struggled. I needed structure and found my course didn’t give me that stability. I spent my time printmaking which I loved, however I left with no real life design skills. After graduating, I struggled with getting a design job as my portfolio didn’t show the relevant knowledge. I used to collect a magazine called Frankie and saw an advert for Shillington College, so I went to the open day in Manchester back in 2014 and knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. I couldn’t afford it at the time, but it was a lifelong ambition for me.
I got a job in a jewellers and was fortunate to be invited to be interviewed for the design role in the head office. This is where I began to learn using Photoshop and Illustrator. I then applied for a traineeship to work on (British soap opera) Emmerdale for ITV and worked my way up learning as much as I could along the way. This was an incredible experience for me and opened me up to a whole other world of design. I left ITV to work at an agency, however it was very clear I lacked a level of design knowledge and I quit. I had never used InDesign before. Instead I decided to go freelance and took on some more film and tv jobs. In 2019, I made it my goal to study at Shillington and saved up as hard as I could.
How did the Shillington course build on your existing design skills?
I had design experience, but I wanted to fill in the gaps in my education. Everything I knew was through being partly self taught and what I picked up along the way. Shillington gave me the opportunity to really study and learn about the core fundamentals and the theoretical side of graphic design. There was a lot I needed to learn and Shillington gave me the tools I needed to feel more confident as a designer.
You were in one of the classes that had to be moved online due to the pandemic. How did you find the course? Tell us about your experiences!
My class did move online, which at first I was worried about, however the transition was pretty seamless. I feel lucky to have had experience in the classroom and getting to meet so many wonderful people, however the online experience was also amazing. I feel we had a good balance of learning collectively as well as getting enough one to one time with the tutors. Regardless of the situation we were faced with in regards to the pandemic, the teachers made every day a truly unforgettable one. During a time of uncertainty, I felt very fortunate that I got to get up every morning and have a goal to achieve (plus lots of homework ha!)
I felt so close to many on my course. It was a shared experience and we all supported one another so much throughout the whole course. We felt like a team, constantly bringing each other up. I made friends on the course that I will be friends with for a long time. The teachers are incredible and consistently give 100%. Shout out to Nick and Lovish from the Manchester campus! They share so much knowledge with the class that I’ve spent years figuring out.
What was your favourite brief on the course? Tell us your process!
My favourite brief has to be the start up project. It was my first experience of creating a brand from scratch. The course is structured so that the process becomes organic. We began by researching the brief and going away to push our ideas as far as we could to then present to a small group. I didn’t think I would have the confidence to present my ideas at first, but I felt so excited by the research that I couldn’t wait to share them. Presenting to a group wasn’t as daunting as I first imagined as everyone was encouraged to share ideas and get involved. I really loved seeing the process develop from a concept to a piece of design.
How has your life changed after Shillington? You’ve been freelancing since you graduated. Was this always what you planned to do?
After graduating from Shillington, I feel like a much more confident and articulate designer than I did before. The whole experience itself was life changing and I feel more equipped now to apply for work I wouldn’t have done previously.
I have been freelancing again recently as it has suited my lifestyle and brought me to London. I’m open to work right now and just really want to get involved in exciting projects.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
I would say be eager to learn and just absorb as much information as you can. It’s a very intensive course and there is no doubt a lot work and tight deadlines, but be assured that the teachers are there every step of the way. I would also say to make sure to look after yourself. Take breaks, eat well and get plenty of sleep. If you get stuck with any ideas, your course mates are the absolutely golden and will help you to bounce off ideas. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and have come away with some wonderful friends and a portfolio I am proud of and you will do too!
Visit Michelle’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Regardless of the situation we were faced with in regards to the pandemic, the teachers made every day a truly unforgettable one!
Freelance Designer for Film and TV
Michelle Crocker
Why Shillington? You were already working in design before the course, why did you chose to jump back into studying?
I never really knew what I wanted to do. My course at university was very broad and I really struggled. I needed structure and found my course didn’t give me that stability. I spent my time printmaking which I loved, however I left with no real life design skills. After graduating, I struggled with getting a design job as my portfolio didn’t show the relevant knowledge. I used to collect a magazine called Frankie and saw an advert for Shillington College, so I went to the open day in Manchester back in 2014 and knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. I couldn’t afford it at the time, but it was a lifelong ambition for me.
I got a job in a jewellers and was fortunate to be invited to be interviewed for the design role in the head office. This is where I began to learn using Photoshop and Illustrator. I then applied for a traineeship to work on (British soap opera) Emmerdale for ITV and worked my way up learning as much as I could along the way. This was an incredible experience for me and opened me up to a whole other world of design. I left ITV to work at an agency, however it was very clear I lacked a level of design knowledge and I quit. I had never used InDesign before. Instead I decided to go freelance and took on some more film and tv jobs. In 2019, I made it my goal to study at Shillington and saved up as hard as I could.
How did the Shillington course build on your existing design skills?
I had design experience, but I wanted to fill in the gaps in my education. Everything I knew was through being partly self taught and what I picked up along the way. Shillington gave me the opportunity to really study and learn about the core fundamentals and the theoretical side of graphic design. There was a lot I needed to learn and Shillington gave me the tools I needed to feel more confident as a designer.
You were in one of the classes that had to be moved online due to the pandemic. How did you find the course? Tell us about your experiences!
My class did move online, which at first I was worried about, however the transition was pretty seamless. I feel lucky to have had experience in the classroom and getting to meet so many wonderful people, however the online experience was also amazing. I feel we had a good balance of learning collectively as well as getting enough one to one time with the tutors. Regardless of the situation we were faced with in regards to the pandemic, the teachers made every day a truly unforgettable one. During a time of uncertainty, I felt very fortunate that I got to get up every morning and have a goal to achieve (plus lots of homework ha!)
I felt so close to many on my course. It was a shared experience and we all supported one another so much throughout the whole course. We felt like a team, constantly bringing each other up. I made friends on the course that I will be friends with for a long time. The teachers are incredible and consistently give 100%. Shout out to Nick and Lovish from the Manchester campus! They share so much knowledge with the class that I’ve spent years figuring out.
What was your favourite brief on the course? Tell us your process!
My favourite brief has to be the start up project. It was my first experience of creating a brand from scratch. The course is structured so that the process becomes organic. We began by researching the brief and going away to push our ideas as far as we could to then present to a small group. I didn’t think I would have the confidence to present my ideas at first, but I felt so excited by the research that I couldn’t wait to share them. Presenting to a group wasn’t as daunting as I first imagined as everyone was encouraged to share ideas and get involved. I really loved seeing the process develop from a concept to a piece of design.
How has your life changed after Shillington? You’ve been freelancing since you graduated. Was this always what you planned to do?
After graduating from Shillington, I feel like a much more confident and articulate designer than I did before. The whole experience itself was life changing and I feel more equipped now to apply for work I wouldn’t have done previously.
I have been freelancing again recently as it has suited my lifestyle and brought me to London. I’m open to work right now and just really want to get involved in exciting projects.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
I would say be eager to learn and just absorb as much information as you can. It’s a very intensive course and there is no doubt a lot work and tight deadlines, but be assured that the teachers are there every step of the way. I would also say to make sure to look after yourself. Take breaks, eat well and get plenty of sleep. If you get stuck with any ideas, your course mates are the absolutely golden and will help you to bounce off ideas. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and have come away with some wonderful friends and a portfolio I am proud of and you will do too!
Visit Michelle’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Michelle Crocker
Freelance Designer for Film and TV
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Jess Mosoph
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Rob Key
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Carl McBride
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Melody Yee
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Matt McKay
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Ximena Jimenez
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Kinda Savarino
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Chantel Charchalis
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Tom Noon
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Lauren Danger Koste
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Karina Aslikyan
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Robyn M-C
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Lauren Stevens
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Ayesha Mansour
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Anna Dai
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Georgia Latham
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Natasha Michels
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Mary Lin
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Carla Zimbler
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Laura Welch
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Sophie Bo Schmidt
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Sivim Ly
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Ben Thaler
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Rosylvia Wang
Design and Brand Officer at Historic Houses UK
Liam Speranza
Associate Design Manager at Tushy
Em Storey
Junior Designer, NU Creative
Natalie Taylor
Designer, Mobkoi
Ella Caseley
Winner of the Shillington x Champion Agency Scholarship
Oyinkan Karunwi
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Sylvan Hillebrand
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Maria Vazquez
Freelance Designer and Art Director
Alessandra Conti
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Elizabeth Diffey
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Majo Crespo
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Lorenzo Mengolini
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Abbey Swinn
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Angeline Chan
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Julia Hoolahan
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Seyi Ogunlade
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Rory Knibbs
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Jess Goodall
Digital Designer, Pistachio Design
Stephanie Halovanic
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Megan Voo
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Gerald Torto
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Eman Abdallah
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Ariana Villegas
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Ray Wong
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Johanna Hagenauer
Brand / Product Designer, Rexlabs
Kris Klein
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Emily Campos
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Rawin Keo
Lead Graphic Designer, Dermalogica
Mark Osmond
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Vanessa Bertagnole
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Araki Koman
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Arwa Al-Salam
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Benny Hinman
Designer, Frost*collective
Em Stokes
Junior Designer, MOO
Veronica Humphris
Digital Designer, Mapway
Leila Bartholet
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Jared Worthington
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Alexandra Francis
Designer, Flow Creative
Benjamin Ngooi
Graphic Designer, Cox Architecture
Sophie Lord
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Khadijah Adbul Nabi
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Frankie Young
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Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
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Amy Forsyth
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Jaira Adlawan
Senior Visual Designer, Sephora
Jamie Krups
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Keiran McCann
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Greg Bemis
Creative, Nike
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, ToyFight
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Megan Dweck
Visual Designer, McKinsey & Company
James Freebairn
Junior Graphic Designer, Dark Mofo
Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Shannon Gordon
Designer, R/GA
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lauren Koste
Freelance Designer and Craft Beer Specialist
Ani Monteleone
Designer, The Wall Street Journal
Caitlin Clancy
Designer, The New York Times
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Linda Gao
Designer, HBO
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
Ellie Pinney
Freelance Designer
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Joseph Lebus
Designer, Made Thought
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Hamish Snow
Product Designer, Rexlabs
Emily Somers
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Eleanor Robertson
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Estefi Panizza
Junior Designer, Design Bridge
Erin Gale
Designer, Target
Kylie Meller
Founder, duosista Web and Graphic Design
Yarron Frauenfelder
Design Director
Bianca Chu
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Bianca Oggiano
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Alexander Rog
Junior Designer, oOh!
Christopher J Porter
Designer, I See Sea
Babeth Olde Hanter
Junior Art Director, SOV
Chrystal Christie
Photographer/Graphic Designer, One Round Entertainment
Tally Thompson
Graphic Designer, Awesome Creative
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Lindsay Koffler
Graphic Designer, Refinery29
Amee Wilson
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Lily Moore
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Braden Floris
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Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Tahmena Lutfi
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Anara Davletaliyeva
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Tiffany Yee
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Amy Sheehan
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Emma Ladlow
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Alexis Waller
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Halah El Kholy
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Jess White
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Bobby Hendry
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Jessica Bakker
Junior Graphic Designer, Beyond Communications
Lauren Dannenberg
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Arnold Omanyo
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Dawn Moloney
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Miranda Mayne
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Paul and Amoni Liddell
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Meredith Wallis
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Victoire Scherer
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Anika George
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Liana Modolo
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Kelly Hansen
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Mikel McCavana
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Jing Ong
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Kirsten McColl
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Nicole Rogers
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Pooja Dharia
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Jackson Todd
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Andy Vargas
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Moshe Bien
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Crystal Lin
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Stephen Grace
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Eleanor Rogers
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Ben Peters
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Brad Holten
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Natalia Baker
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Molly Sitter
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Guy Pittard
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Bea Sambalido
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Peta Harris
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Oceane Combeau
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Anna Mullin
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Theo Witrylak
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Stephanie Antill
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Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
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Pete Conforto
Designer, For The People
Roo Cassels
Designer, Big Fish
Nicol Reid
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James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
David Scott
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Jane Durlacher
Graphic Designer, Paper Stone Scissors
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
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Sean Raynor
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Vanessa Burgess
Graphic Designer, Tritium
Olivier Adam
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Cari Sekendur
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Alexandra Menzies
Freelance Graphic Designer
Margherita Baldi
Freelance Visual Designer
Tim Jones
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Carla Scotto
Freelance Graphic Designer
Meg Walker
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Christina Capetola
Designer at Wayfair
Louise Hamer
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Ina Estrada
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Sam Jacobs
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Ulrika Johnson
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Henriette van Baren
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Charly Tudor
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Lola Irwanto
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