I have always enjoyed observing people and learning about how humans think, learn, and live our lives. This innate curiosity led me to study anthropology and education in college, putting me on the path to become a teacher and, eventually, a product designer.

For the first ten years of my career, I was doing much of the work required in UX/UI design, but applying it in a school setting. As a teacher, then later as a school administrator, I was tasked with discovering, understanding, and empathizing with the needs of children and educators. I would find problems, work towards solutions, and create experiences that required constant iteration with every new group of students. I designed my own materials using a variety of online tools and obsessed over every detail that might enhance my students' ability to absorb and retain information in a meaningful way.

As an administrator, I worked to make teachers' lives easier, empathized with parents, and fostered collaboration in order to meet their students' needs. I led a team, facilitated workshops and conducted presentations, and offered constructive criticism and feedback. While I loved my students and colleagues, stepping out of the classroom and into an administrative role, especially during the pandemic, helped me make some new discoveries about myself and what I wanted out of my career. I began exploring new skills, like coding and instructional design, before finally landing on UX/UI design and realizing just how much my past experiences shaped me and helped me prepare for what was to come.