When I was a child, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. I watched vet shows on Animal Planet, and I even had books on animal first aid. However, after my first pet passed away, I quickly realized that I was far too soft to be a veterinarian. I wouldn’t be able to cope if I couldn’t help every single animal! Around the time I was 10 I started getting really in to drawing. I would practice drawing my favorite cartoon characters, which then eventually led me to start creating my own small comic strips (I’m afraid none of them were very good, but they’re hilarious to find as an adult!). By the time I got to high school, I was taking multiple art classes and spent most of my time working on creative ventures. I knew I wanted to do something in the art field, but I didn’t know exactly what. I had considered being a Fine Arts major in college, but I didn’t quite know how I would make a living off of that. If I’m honest, there was a bit of Imposter Syndrome creeping in as well- I was young and easily intimidated.

I joined the workforce for a while, doing various office and retail jobs. And always, if the higher-ups discovered I was an artist, I’d be asked to design something for a meeting, a work event, whatever they needed. I discovered I really liked this side of the art business. Additionally, I would design things for my family, like tattoos of logos for side hustles. I had one relative start a blog and I designed her logo for her. I continued working on my own art as well, but I was especially happy with the things I created for other people.

Around this time, I started thinking about returning to school. I was unsure what I wanted to study; I’ve always enjoyed learning so I felt like I wanted to study EVERYTHING. Majoring in everything would cost a… large… fortune, which I don’t have, so I took a few aptitude tests. I wasn’t surprised by the several recommendations for careers in Graphic Design. I did some more research and discovered the Graphic Design was a great fit. It allowed me to be creative, while also allowing me to work with people– something I really do enjoy. It was also a way for me to find creative solutions to unique problems. I enrolled in a community college and majored in Graphic Design and never looked back! Since my program was at a community college, it only covered the first two years, but the campus didn’t have a bachelor’s program. I knew I needed to transfer, but by then I had learned more about specific areas in graphic design. I wanted a program that contained elements of UX design since it’s a quickly growing field, and so important to the future of design. As I was looking at different universities, I found the Digital Design program. It felt like a perfect match: it had all the elements of a bachelor’s program I was looking for! I managed to transfer with all my credits, and here I am!