PURCHASE, N.Y. - "Where are they now?" is a monthly feature story that highlights former student-athletes and employees, as they recount their adventures at Purchase College and what they have been up to since departing.
Our fourth person of the 2025-26 season is
Lilith Bastek-Ochoa '25, who was a four-year starter and leader for the women's volleyball team.
Over her career, Bastek-Ochoa (Sag Harbor, NY) appeared in 69 games, recording 290 points, 207 kills and 363 digs.
As a sophomore, she led the team in digs with 142, before coming back in 2023 as a junior to lead the offense with 141 points.
Over her four seasons, the squad improved each year, including setting team records for overall wins and conference wins in 2024 as a senior.
Scroll below to read Lilith's own words about what she has been up to since graduating.
Sport/s: Women's Volleyball
Graduation year: 2025
Major: Graphic Design and Painting + Drawing
Favorite place to eat on campus: My apartment because I make good food
Favorite activity/event: Culture Shock and Dig Pink
What clubs/jobs did you have at Purchase: I was a lab monitor at the Visual Arts Building, Social Media Manager for the Women's Team, and some graphics for the Athletics Department
What have you been up to since leaving: I was away in Europe for two months working on a giant outdoor mural in Greece and focused on some personal graphic design projects in Italy.
What are you most proud of since departing: I'm proud of myself for not letting my dreams go and extremely grateful for my boss in giving me the opportunity to continue pursing my dreams, while still working and getting things done for our building company.
Tell us about your current job: I currently work for a new-generation wall printing technology that specializes in high-quality wall graphics/murals that bring a new light to an empty space and encourage employees to come back to work - physically!
What's your official job title: I'm their Graphic Designer/Sales Assistant
What's the day to day look like: I currently work remotely, clocking in eight hours a day, creating everything graphic related including: brochures, presentations, image decks, and graphical mockups for clients. For my sales position, I focus on working with local businesses (Westchester- Western Connecticut) area on pitches, zoom meetings, preparing mockups/ important information for the specific client, and making sure they feel confident with wanting to work with us.
What enticed you about your job: As a beginner muralist myself, being able to understand murals in the graphical sense advances my knowledge for when a handprinted mural is asked of me, which is also offered at the company- only upon special request.
Anything you learned at Purchase that is helping you in your new role: Understanding graphic terminology when it comes to the quality of files, what files need to be exported, understanding document layout and using more than just images to create a "pretty graphic", it's also in the text and layout of your document elements.
Share your thoughts on your overall experience as a former Panther: Being a Panther is more than just playing a sport and going to classes after practice or going to a game coming from class. It's about the connections you made with the people there and how it can help you build your career and your future. I am extremely grateful for the people I have met there and the lessons they have all taught me.
Any other things you were involved with on campus: I lived a pretty busy life outside of school, including working part-time 20 hour weeks at the YMCA. As a double major also involved in sports, I had lots of projects and captain duties to attend to and didn't have much time for extracurricular activities.
Final thoughts or anything else you'd like to share: I'll be seeing you all real soon and hope to see your artwork all around the campus!
