Solakian, not Slackin’

This Santa Barbara native has been busily designing commercial content in The Indy ad production office since June. And though Deanna Solakian has had a taste of big-city life prior to her tenure hereshe bounced around jobs in New York City previouslyshe’s happy to return to the West Coast, where recreation is more plentiful. “I miss the city a lot : but I was completely sedentary in New York,” she said. Being back at home hasn’t narrowed her view of the world, however. She’s traveled to places as disparate as Croatia and Connecticutthe latter to watch her brother Nick play for Yale’s football team. She’s also taking graphic design classes at Santa Barbara City College, where she contributes to Icon, the campus art and culture publication. “I love City College,” she said. “And I love the professors there. They’re great.” To that, her boss Megan Packard Hillegas has one correction: “Deanna thinks City College is great, but I think she’s great!”