About Me
Former Therapist and College Counselor turned UX Researcher & Designer
I started my career in college admissions counseling, helping students from underrepresented communities navigate the admissions process. I then earned a master's in mental health counseling and worked as a therapist in community health. Both roles trained the same muscles: researching and understanding people deeply, and listening for their needs, their strengths, and their areas of opportunity.
Pivoting into UX was a natural step. Even though the physical tools differ, the soft skills of understanding your user, building trust, and solving for their problems, remains the same. Since then I've worked across organizations from large EdTech corporations to small GreenTech startups, as both a solo UX hire and a lead designer. I'm comfortable in ambiguity, and I can take a UX role and make it my own.
My sociology and counseling background built my research instincts. I'm well versed in various analytical tools and familiar with mixed-methods researching to uncover data insights that are actionable and easy to understand.
My leadership experience predates my design career, and I've carried it with me into UX. I'm comfortable setting direction and delegating, but just as comfortable being a listening and guiding ear for my teammates.
Counselor training never leaves you. When you've been evaluated on, and given feedback during, some of the most intimate conversations a person can have, you learn that critique is a tool for growth, not a threat. I genuinely enjoy learning how to be a better teammate, and I always welcome being proven wrong when it's to everyone's benefit.
I'm a person with lots of varying hobbies and interests. I love to hike, bike ride, play pickleball, run, go to Pilates, and read, and most recently I've taken up birding. I also love to try new things and push myself out of my comfort zone: most recently I joined a musical theater group in my area, performed, and loved it. And if it's not already obvious, I love my corgis and spend as much time giving them a fun life as humanly possible.
