What were the fun twists and turns of your professional journey?
I first got into programming in high school, where I really enjoyed my coding classes. I quickly picked up HTML and CSS and started building websites for friends and family. That experience led to my first job as a junior developer, where I began learning WordPress, and I’ve been growing and learning ever since! I always knew I wanted to work with websites, but my path wasn’t linear. From pizza delivery to being a barista to marketing, each experience taught me something unexpected that still helps me in my work today.
Have you heard any good communications advice lately that you’re eager to share?
With so many AI tools today, your own voice really stands out.
We’ve heard more and more communications professionals talk about the importance of the human voice. What are some of the telltale signs of AI that you’ve noticed recently?
Well, I am sorry to anyone who has used EM dashes in their writing before AI, as people probably assume anything they write is AI now. What I appreciate most in writing is when there is personality or voice. AI-generated text tends to sound generic and overly formal, especially when not prompted extensively.
Handsome Link!
We heard that, like most others on the team, you have a cat. Tell us about him!
I have an orange cat named Link, who I got as a kitten almost 5 years ago. I actually adopted Link as a kitten from the humane society, where they had a first-come, first-served adoption. My sister and I took shifts camping out overnight at the humane society to make sure we were first in line. He’s been an orange gremlin ever since!
What are some of your favorite hobbies or ways to unplug and decompress?
I love reading, playing games, and catching up with friends. I also love photography and trying new restaurants. I am a big fan of fantasy books, and my favorite author is Brandon Sanderson.
Have you always wanted to work in a creative career?
I used to see myself as more technical than creative, but after taking a few design classes in college, I discovered a genuine passion for creativity and design and decided to focus my major on that.
How has working in the field of communications informed your work?
I’ve learned a lot about the importance of accessibility in design and communication.
Accessibility is huge. What steps do you take in your development process to ensure accessibility, and why is it important?
Accessibility is essential because we service sites for all types of people, and how they interact with websites might look different from how I interact with websites. For example, someone who uses a screen reader is going to have a much different experience, or someone who is colorblind might have issues seeing certain color combinations. Accessibility is about making a site that works for everyone, no matter how they use the website.
What are some of the joys and challenges you come across in this work?
I enjoy projects where I can be creative, like redesigning a website. It’s most challenging when things break or there are outages and we have to figure out a solution.
