I heard that in a lecture in 2014 and have carried it with me through all my work since then. I studied and worked on public health and policy issues such as diabetes prevention, school food, soda taxes and bail reform. I used my writing, research and policy analysis skills not just to find the best chocolate cake but to communicate to make sure people knew and understood that it was the best one.

I bring my communications and advocacy experience with me into the field of design. I chose this field because it combines my previous experience with my creative and artistic side that until now, has been relegated to my hobbies. I’m excited to combine my skills in order to design impactful, useful and beautiful products.

I know how important it is to meet people where they are, communicate well and change systems to help people live better lives. Great design can do that. To be a good designer you have to understand people—what motivates them, what scares them, what brings them joy—and they have to trust you to understand those things. I want to use design to create change, reimagine our systems and serve people the best chocolate cake on the most beautiful platter I can design.

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