On August 30, 2025, Hollins University held its inaugural Pinning Ceremony — the first of its kind — signaling the class of 2029’s arrival. Here’s what the client said to their students:
“I encourage you to wear this pin with pride, wear it with courage, and wear it with the knowledge that this is the start of your the beginning at Hollins,” said Tiffany Hinton, vice president for Student Success, Well-Being, and Belonging. “You will receive another pin your senior year, with your class year on it, and you’ll be able to say that you conquered the Hollins journey well.”
Originally my thoughts for this pin were to have two related designs, one for the year in which students arrived, and one for the year in which they depart. Here are some early ideas that didn’t make it:
After that, the client wanted to just produce one pin. The final design was created as to be a 3/4-inch cloisonné with gold plating, but the first iteration was produced as a printed pin as seen in the photos above.
