As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Definitely wanted to be a Power Ranger.
What major[s]/minor[s] did you graduate with?
BFA in Graphic Design
Where do you live these days?
Minneapolis, MN
Where do you work? What kind of work do you do?
I'm a UX Designer at a digital design startup called Folklore. We help businesses transform their digital products to create meaningful experiences for their users.
How are you involved with the arts in your current community?
I volunteer for AIGA MN's education committee, and love getting to meet new designers through all the events AIGA puts on in the cities.
What was your favorite class or project in college?
Rob Wittig had this exercise he would make us do in one of his classes where you have to sketch like a million completely unique compositions for a poster in 10 minutes. That exercise taught us so, so much – how to ideate quickly, how to really push ourselves to think unconventionally, etc. I still do that exercise to this day with my creative work, and I can't thank him enough for pushing us to do it, even when we were tired or annoyed and didn't want to.
How did SFA professors influence you?
I really appreciated the level of involvement all of the faculty would take in making sure their students succeeded. They genuinely cared about our well-being which was great.
What advice would you give to a incoming art & design student?
Get involved early. Join clubs, go to events. Learn to care about learning. And take advantage of your professor's office hours!
What was your favorite local Duluth hangout in college?
Anywhere on Lake Superior.
What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you since graduating from UMD SFA?
After graduating I won a national Addy for some work I did for SFA when I was still in school. If it weren't for the knowledge I had gained through my time at SFA, as well as the opportunities that were presented to me during my time there, this wouldn't have been possible. I'm very thankful for that every day.
What was your biggest takeaway from UMD SFA?
Learning to take responsibility for the direction of your education and life is of the utmost importance. Everyone is capable of achieving what they set out to do, and SFA did a good job of encouraging us to follow our passions.
How did you make the decision to attend UMD for school?
It was either UMD or move to the east coast – and back then the thought of moving halfway across the country was terrifying.