After finishing school at Yeppoon High, Mandy swapped a gentle life on the Capricorn Cost for the big lights and excitement of the Gold Coast. As the years progressed, she moved further south. She did an Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design in 2017, won Student of the Year, and started a successful gallery in Victoria.
But in 2023, tired of the city life and having to wear four layers of clothing whenever she went outside, Mandy made the big move back home.
On her return, she was struck by how easy it is to enjoy the simple pleasures of life here. She embraced the endless good weather, the roadside stalls offering fresh mangos and lychees, swimming without a wetsuit and living an alfresco life. She caught up with old friends, and met lots of new ones, and she wondered why she'd ever left!
A big believer in supporting local business, Mandy is a member of the Emu Park Art Gallery, Latitude 23 Arts and the Royal Queensland Art Society Rockhampton.
And although the plan was to semi-retire when she returned home, that didn't quite happen. She works as a Graphic Designer, Artist and Muralist and co-owns Framed in Cooee with her partner, and has never been happier.