Here's my story captured in 5 chapters
A UX Engineer with a B.S. degree in Computer Science, a minor in 2D|3D Animation, and a professional diploma in UX/UI Design
The University of Southern California is where I not only discovered my passion for VR/AR, but where I also received my very first "ah-ha moment" in wanting to further explore being at the forefront of solving user problems. I will say though, spearheading Cinematic Arts projects while tackling Computer Science courses was a huge challenge; and it meant that I would have to work in overdrive and sacrifice countless nights of sleep. But I would do it all over again! <3 (only better haha)
While taking my affinity for VR a bit further, during my research tenure with Dr. Raghavachary (amazing mentor btw), one of the desktop VR websites that he'd introduced me to explore was learmyr.org — a beginner friendly experience for teaching, learning and bringing VR into classrooms. Upon testing the usability of the site, I thought, "how might an ambitious, creative kid transform my 2D previous project into a 3D VR experience so that he/she can enjoy learning how to code using VR?" Hours later, my Queen Status VR character was built; and then the unexpected happened. Not only was I contacted by MYR's team to have my work published in their research paper for the ACM SIGCSE conference, but it has since been featured on their about page!
Following that self-directed, growth-mindset and curiosity, I went on to pursue UX/UI Design — which would turn out to be one of the best decisions that I'd ever made. At UC Berkeley, not only was I able to build a solid foundation on the design thinking methodologies and best practices that goes into solving user problems, learn how to own end-to-end product experiences, and be involved in every aspect of the product development process, but was also able to practice my leadership skills having been selected as the annual student representative for my amazing fellow UX/UI Designers!
My internship at Propane is where my passion for solving real-world, end-to-end user problems were solidified. I further learned that I enjoy and thrive in collaborative environments and cross-disciplinary teams where we would have direct, honest, and open communication. Here is where I learned what it's like as a team to celebrate wins and to openly discuss and accept setbacks as lessons to further improve upon. I got way more out of this experience than mentorship and self-development — I got what it's like to have an extended work family.
Here's what some of them had to say ->The pandemic has taught me a great deal of lessons. Especially with regards to always being prepared for the unexpected. I feel that there's no better time than now to push myself further — to strengthen my critical thinking, analytic abilities, presentation skills, and understanding of businesses and the environments they operate in. For that, I've chosen to enroll in the Master of Business Administration program with a concentration in Web Development & Design at Westcliff University! (Spring '22 - Spring '24)
I'm looking to further develop and sharpen my diverse skill-set in an environment where I can help make real-world impact — to create painkillers rather than vitamins, to collaborate, collectively brainstorm and be a part of an amazing team that's passionate about the products they build for their clients. I'm also looking forward to further invest in my passion for VR/AR — exploring the cutting-edge technology that will change the way people interact, connect, learn, and socialize. I'm super excited and ready for whatever the future holds and wherever it takes me!
