When I started as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, I was absolutely sure I wanted to be a Psychologist. I come from a family with a history of mental illness and have been fascinated by abnormal psychology since I was a child. I became involved in psychology research toward the end of my college career, aiming to pursue my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology after graduating. I took a gap year to get everything in order, but one gap year turned into two, three, and four. I took this time to get some real-world experience in the field before leaping into the huge commitment of a Ph.D. program. However, I slowly realized I wouldn’t enjoy a career in Clinical Psychology. I found myself working at a dead-end academic research job I couldn’t advance in unless I got more education. At the peak of not knowing how to advance my career, or even what I wanted to do for a career, a coworker suggested I check out UX Research. After taking a class about the basics of UX Design at the School of Visual Concepts, I decided to go through their UX Certificate Program.
Throughout the year-long program, I learned about the entire UX Design process, from research to creating new designs. I met amazing mentors and had the chance to get real-world experience. Initially, I thought I’d end up liking the research part of the UX process the best, but as I worked through the program, I fell in love with the entire design process. My background in academic research keeps me curious and helps me unearth the needs and desires of my users. My background in psychology helps me develop empathy and an understanding of their struggles. Little did I know I was building skills for this new career even when I felt stuck in my old one! To my surprise, I found I also really enjoy wireframing and prototyping. I love using what I’ve learned from initial research to create new experiences for my users. As a new UX Designer, I’m so excited for what the future of my career has in store. UX Design seems to be the perfect combination of my past experience and new interests.
In my free time, I love going to live shows, playing piano, following extreme weather events, and enthusiastically admiring corgis on the street. I'll be enthusiastically admiring my own corgi February 2022!
I'm currently searching for a UX Design/Product Design position in the Seattle area. Send me an email or message on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat!
When I started as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, I was absolutely sure I wanted to be a Psychologist. I come from a family with a history of mental illness and have been fascinated by abnormal psychology since I was a child. I became involved in psychology research toward the end of my college career, aiming to pursue my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology after graduating. I took a gap year to get everything in order, but one gap year turned into two, three, and four. I took this time to get some real-world experience in the field before leaping into the huge commitment of a Ph.D. program. However, I slowly realized I wouldn’t enjoy a career in Clinical Psychology. I found myself working at a dead-end academic research job I couldn’t advance in unless I got more education. At the peak of not knowing how to advance my career, or even what I wanted to do for a career, a coworker suggested I check out UX Research. After taking a class about the basics of UX Design at the School of Visual Concepts, I decided to go through their UX Certificate Program.
Throughout the year-long program, I learned about the entire UX Design process, from research to creating new designs. I met amazing mentors and had the chance to get real-world experience. Initially, I thought I’d end up liking the research part of the UX process the best, but as I worked through the program, I fell in love with the entire design process. My background in academic research keeps me curious and helps me unearth the needs and desires of my users. My background in psychology helps me develop empathy and an understanding of their struggles. Little did I know I was building skills for this new career even when I felt stuck in my old one! To my surprise, I found I also really enjoy wireframing and prototyping. I love using what I’ve learned from initial research to create new experiences for my users. As a new UX Designer, I’m so excited for what the future of my career has in store. UX Design seems to be the perfect combination of my past experience and new interests.
In my free time, I love going to live shows, playing piano, following extreme weather events, and enthusiastically admiring corgis on the street. I'll be enthusiastically admiring my own corgi May/June 2022!