In my undergraduate degree program at Santa Clara University (SCU), I entered knowing I wanted to major in Computer Science (CS). As I learned more about the field of CS, I knew I didn’t want to stop my education with my Bachelors of Science. CS has always been and will always be an interest of mine. However, I knew I had a desire to be creative and work collaboratively with others which was hard to achieve through my CS course load at SCU that consisted mostly of independent work.
Thankfully through my Art minor, I was able to work on interesting digital art projects in Adobe Creative Cloud apps that used the creative side of my brain. My Virtual Reality professor encouraged me to look into Human-Computer Interaction and a career in UX/UI design as a way to amalgamate my two interests. Since then, I knew that this discipline is the best continuation of my CS degree and will allow me to further my passions.
During my time as a UX engineer for Opal, a startup created by SCU students, I have learned to create visual and interactive prototypes, as well as, continually feed my curiosity about user experience design and engineering. In this role, I created the designs of how the app and web pages would look like in Figma. I have learned the different stages of creating a design, from wireframes to the final design mockup. In addition to gaining experience in paying attention to detail in the design process, I also strengthened my communication skills from explaining my design decisions to other designers, product managers and engineers.
During my last two quarters at SCU, I took a Design Management of Software and a Web Usability course. During these classes, we discussed the different stages of the design process and had group projects where we could implement what we were learning on a real product. We identified a problem, interviewed participants, created primary personas, and created prototypes.
At my previous job at Wells Fargo, I expressed my interest in HCI and design to my manager and I have had the privilege of getting connected to and networking with several UX designers. Through these connections, I have been able to create a mentorship opportunity for myself with one of Wells Fargo’s UX designers. We have virtual coffee chats every other week to discuss the many aspects that encompass the UX field, as well as, steps I can take to transition into a UX designer role.
With my background in CS and the skills I will gain in Geogia Tech's MSHCI program, I hope to transition from an engineering role to one in UX Design, while still working within the technology industry. In addition, STEM education has been a passion of mine since being introduced to the CS field as a part the Girls Who Code cohort in 2016 and continuing on into college as a board member of the Society of Women Engineers++ (SWE++), a club that taught local middle school girls how to code. These experiences have inspired me to learn more about the gender gap in tech and ways to close it. I want to empower users through the designs I create to drive empathy and bring more diversity into the technology industry.
