MY STORY

My introduction to design and the world of design thinking began formally in high school. I was fortunate enough to attend a school with design thinking mindset and social-emotional learning as the pillars of their mission and curriculum. Through project-based learning in classes, year-long passion projects called Quest, and being a part of design thinking consultancies and opportunities on campus, I was able to explore and dive into a number of incredible projects: from building the model for student council, redesigning bike racks for the Bay Area Caltrain system, and teaching educators the design thinking process every summer.

When it came time to apply to college, I wanted to find a place with the same values of flexible, student-driven learning and abilities to explore interdisciplinary topics. Brown originally stood out to me because of the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program, but after coming to Brown, I realized that while open curriculum allowed for flexibility in my courses, it was difficult to find a place where design methodology and mindset was put to the forefront of the curriculum. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I was lucky enough to become a part of Design@Brown, finding a group of equally excited students from diverse backgrounds but with similar mindsets and values.

My academic path has changed a variety of times since arriving on campus, and I’m now pursuing an ScB in Psychology in conjunction with an Independent Concentration in design. I’m also a member of Better World by Design, the Brown Entrepreneurship Program, and SHAG (Sexual Health Awareness Group) to as a way to engage with my other interests of design, entrepreneurship, and reproductive health.