Name: Meghanne Edwards
Year: Sophomore
Major: Marine Biology
Hometown: Marshville, NC (small town outside Charlotte, NC)
UNC Wilmington sophomore Meghanne Edwards has created her own business designing and selling laptop and car decals/stickers that are ocean and North Carolina themed. Part of the profit she makes on these stickers goes back to a local charitable organization: 10 percent of the profits goes to ONE MOCEAN Inc., which is a non-profit organization that “plans to raise awareness to the public about different issues in the marine and ocean environment,” according to their Facebook page.
HC: What inspired you to start making your own laptop decals?
ME: A friend, Matthew Perry, actually has his own business called Island Apparels Co. and he had made me a car sticker. From there we began making the ones I sell now and I also get to give back to marine conservation.
HC: Do you consider yourself a creative person?
ME: Slightly, I’m able to come up with some of the ideas but it’s definitely a group project and Matthew is a huge help.
HC: Have you done other creative projects like this in the past?
ME: I’ve never done something like this where I’ve sold something to give back to conservation. But I really like doing simple DIY things and have an eye when it comes to decorating.
HC: How did you go about designing and printing these stickers?
ME: Matthew has a desktop with several different apps on there that we will use to make the actual stickers. Some we are actually able to print out in his room, because he has his own sticker cutter, but others we send off to get printed for us.
HC: Why did you decide on these specific designs?
ME: I’m extremely passionate about marine life and sea turtles especially. So that’s where it began, we started with the turtles and jellyfish. And from there we’ve made other animals and just got a little creative with it, especially with the scuba cat. The NC outline we were inspired by the NC stickers that say “home.”. I have one on my water bottle and we happened to look at it and decided to go with that.
HC: Have students shown interest in your products? If so, which ones?
ME: I’ve gotten a lot on interest with the decals. When I post about them I usually sell out within the day, unless I had a large shipment.
HC: Where can students find your products?
ME: Currently I only have them on person so you can reach out to me through Facebook or Instagram (@meghanneee) and that’s how I get in contact with people. I usually meet them around campus and get the stickers to them that way. Soon Matthew’s getting his Island Apparels Co. website together and he’s saving me a spot on there to start selling them! Also, be on the lookout for hats and shirts to come as well!
[Photos courtesy of Meghanne Edwards]