Hi, I'm Emily. A UX designer creating empathetic, human centered, research backed, digital products.
UX Designer
Originally from Wichita, Kansas I moved to Denver, Colorado in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. After a few years of teaching I decided to change directions and make the transition into the field of technology. In that first year after leaving teaching I learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
By learning how to code I discovered my true passion, UX design. I began to focus on learning everything that I could about UX design online while driving full time for Uber. As soon as I became eligible for the Arizona State University tuition partnership that Uber was offering to drivers, I enrolled as a full time student majoring in Graphic Information Technology.
Through the challenges that come with changing careers and going back to school, I have deepened my understanding of how others think, gained appreciation for hard work, and have relied heavily on my growth mindset. I have found that the tech industry is very similar to education in the sense that if you want to be successful, you must always keep learning and trying new things.
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I moved to Missoula, Montana in July of 2020 and in my spare time I like to hike, longboard, snowboard, write poetry, and be on or near a lake or river with a view of mountains.
01 PROFESSIONAL
Soft Skills and Software
Growth Mindset
98%
Problem Solving
98%
Teamwork
98%
Adobe XD
98%
Sketch
98%
Illustrator
98%
Photoshop
98%
HTML & CSS
85%
Javascript
50%
Why no 100%'s you ask? As a former educator, I strongly believe that you should never stop learning, that there is always something new that can be added to your skillset.
02 PORTFOLIO
Photography has always been a hobby of mine that I would like to turn into a side gig some day. This photo focuses on colors and depth.
With the help of Adobe XD I created a fully interactive quiz all about my favorite weather phenomenon, tornadoes!
For this project we were given one word and told to represent it into 3 Instagram posts.
A concept poster I created for the conference New Adventures.
A fully responsive static site made purely from CSS and HTML.
03 Experience
2015-2016
Contract Guest Teacher
Before I graduated from Emporia, I was offered a job with Douglas County School District as a contract guest teacher. In this full-time job, I worked throughout the school district wherever I was needed, meaning that I taught many content areas and often met and lead 20-30 new students through unfamiliar material each day.
2015
Emporia State University
My first degree was a Bachelor's in Elementary Education. Though I have since changed career paths, I believe that having a foundation in education not only helps me have empathy for others, but comes in handy when I am designing for people who think and learn differently than I do.
2016-2017
Second Grade Teacher
During my time as a contract guest teacher, I made many connections in the district and was ultimately offered a second grade teaching position at Summit View Elementary. Although I loved teaching and feeling like I was making a difference in the lives of students, I found living as a single-income teacher unsustainable. This lead me to begin spending evenings and weekends driving with Uber. When I realized that I unable to share my best self with students under these circumstances and that I was making more money with Uber than I was teaching, I knew that it was time for a change. While I will always value my experiences in education and continue to use volunteer opportunities to better my community, I believe strongly that leaving education was the best choice for my own health and happiness.
2017-2018
Transitioning
After leaving teaching, I spent a year teaching myself how to code. In the process, I discovered the wide range of career opportunities available in the tech industry, and realized I needed to learn more. I decided to use my time with Uber to propel my professional career, and worked to qualify for Uber and ASU's partnership program that provides drivers with free degrees. I was recently featured in a commercial for Uber highlighting this program, which is linked at the bottom of this page!
2018-Present
Arizona State University
I am now proud to be working towards completing both my second bachelor's degree (May 2021) and my Master's in Graphic Information Technology (December 2021). Combining these degrees while working full-time hasn't been easy, but it's certainly been a catalyst for intense personal and professional growth, which I have found incredibly rewarding.
2019 - Present
reThought Insurance Internship
In November 2019 I met the CEO of reThought Insurance while driving for Uber and after an interview process I was hired as a developer/ UX design intern. I have learned a great deal through this internship and look forward to learning more!