Cyrene Quiamco is right at home.

During a recent photo shoot, the 2012 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was as comfortable in front of the camera as she was sharing her thoughts and drawings with thousands of people she’ll likely never meet.

On this day, the UALR Fine Arts Building was a fitting location — for years, the facility was a second home for Quiamco while she happily worked into the late hours of the night finishing project after project.

“I remember staying here until 11,” Quiamco said.

As national magazines and social media campaigns for some of the most recognizable brands feature Quiamco, the rest of the world is finding out what Little Rock already knew: Quiamco has talent.

The 26-year-old web designer for Verizon and freelance graphic designer has almost always been an artist. Painting and ceramics are particular passions, but so is the Internet — going back to the days of dial-up modems, MySpace and log-in limits.

Quiamco now thrives on using her artistry to reach a wider audience. Thanks to social media, her skills are on display for all to see — and more and more people are catching a glimpse.

“Internet’s most fascinating”

Her work on Snapchat recently drew the attention of Cosmopolitan magazine, which named Quiamco one of the “Internet’s most fascinating” people. The publication touted her ability to make “$10,000 for 1 snap on Snapchat.”

For those unfamiliar with Snapchat, users share photos, videos, text and drawings that disappear from view after a short time, usually 10 seconds.

Quiamco, who goes by the handle CyreneQ on all her social media accounts, created www.the11thsecond.com, a website that showcases the work of Snapchat artists, giving their creations an extended “11th second” in the spotlight.

Quiamco’s fame got a boost after she received a message from someone using an unverified social media account claiming to be Kevin Jonas, an actor and musician famous for his role in the Jonas Brothers band.

It turned out, it really was him.

One of Quiamco’s talents is creating Snapchat art of celebrities, and Jonas was particularly impressed with what she did with his image. His online accolades added to her digital following.

Although Quiamco has only had a public Snapchat account for about a year, her social media storytelling led to work with brands like Disney, Bud Light, Burger King, and UNICEF. Companies also hired her to promote movie franchises like “Ice Age,” “Fantastic Four,” and “The Hunger Games”. She’s also scheduled to help MTV’s Video Music Awards show with its social media on Aug. 30 and has been nominated for a Streamy Award — the Streamys are scheduled to be broadcast Sept. 17 on VH1.

Often, these gigs involve flights throughout the country for Quiamco and her family. California is an especially frequent destination for Quiamco, whose recent Disneyland work came with company-provided limo transportation and a stay in an upgraded hotel on property.

There’s no place like Little Rock

Given the corporate locations of these entities, people sometimes hint that it might be time for Quiamco to move.

“Everyone says, ‘You’re in Arkansas and you do social media?’” Quiamco said.

But Quiamco enjoys traveling, and she appreciates returning home. Little Rock is that home — and has been ever since her mother, Christine Ganzon, moved the family from the Philippines about 20 years ago.

Ganzon said what attracted her to Little Rock as a place to raise Quiamco and Ganzon’s younger daughter, Chris-Joy Quiamco, was how peaceful and quiet it was and the reasonable cost of living.

Quiamco’s mother continues to enjoy the city, and when it came time for Quiamco to consider universities, Ganzon encouraged her to take a close look at UALR.

“UALR is a good school, and they have good scholarships,” Ganzon said.

As Quiamco studied the options, UALR stood out for the quality of its academic programs, its affordability and its location.

“I don’t see why I would spend more money in another state,” Quiamco said, when UALR offered everything she was seeking only 10 minutes from her house.

She entered UALR’s prestigious Donaghey Scholars Program, which paid her tuition and fees and gave her a stipend and financial assistance toward a study abroad program, among other perks.

The Donaghey Scholars Program funded her summer studies at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, and she also took a summer program at Hong Kong Polytechnic University that was funded by scholarships from Benjamin A. Gilman International and AsiaLearn.

“I think those were really good experiences,” Quiamco said.

Eye toward the future

Even before she graduated from UALR with a focus on graphic design, painting, ceramics and digital graphics, Quiamco was getting noticed. The combination of freelance work and educational-expense savings from scholarships helped her buy a house in Little Rock before her bachelor’s degree commencement.

She quickly had a job lined up after graduation, and this year, her sister, a 2015 UALR graduate, joined her at Verizon, working at a desk near hers.

Quiamco is where she wants to be now, but someday, she hopes to open her own agency.

She’s glad she chose UALR. It was a rewarding experience, it was close to home, and she had no problem finding a job after graduation.

“With the education I got here, I am able to do whatever I want right now,” Quiamco said.

“I think I made a right choice.”