My story is a simple one.

From drawing cartoons with my brother as a kid to rewatching HGTV and making renovations around my parents' home, design has always been part of how I see the world. When I got to college, I started as an Interior Design major… then stumbled into my first Psychology course and never quite recovered.

One checklist settled it:

✓ I like figuring out what people need, even when they can't quite say it.
✓ I want the work I do to mean something.
✓ I could spend hours on a problem and not notice the time.

I graduated, taught elementary school for a bit (loved the kids, not the job), then earned my Master's in Mental Health Counseling and spent several years doing clinical therapy work. The work itself was meaningful. The burnout, however, was relentless. I eventually came to the conclusion that something had to change, which was after I discovered UX/UI design.

“You mean to tell me, I could do a thing that combines design and psychology?”

Months later, I went all in. I researched, took courses, cold-messaged designers, and enrolled in a program — all while working out what kind of designer I actually wanted to be. The psychology background wasn't baggage I was leaving behind. It was the whole point. The patient and student experience work I did along the way didn't make it into my portfolio, but it shaped how I think as a designer more than anything else has.

I strive to continuously challenge myself and improve my abilities through meaningful and impactful work. When I’m not behind a computer screen, I enjoy hiking in the gorgeous mountains of Virginia with my family, competitively playing Monopoly Deal with friends, and reading a good book in bed while listening to the soothing sounds of my cat snoring.