YEAR 4:
Finding Home Everywhere

This year started in a blur of medical devices and crab cakes. I spent the summer in Baltimore interning at Key Tech, where I got thrown headfirst into the world of med tech. It was intense, fast-paced, and exactly the kind of challenge I didn’t know I needed. I worked alongside some of the sharpest (and kindest) engineers and designers I’ve ever met, learning how to problem-solve at scale and sketch at speed. Most days ended with an exploded-view diagram or a new appreciation for injection molding.

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Right after that, I swapped Old Bay seasoning for Pret a Manger and landed in London for a semester abroad at Central Saint Martins. Studying in a city where everything feels designed—from the Tube signage to the corner flower stalls—was wildly inspiring. The crits were chaotic in the best way, and I got to explore a different rhythm of design that leaned into experimentation and storytelling. On weekends, I hopped trains around Europe, sketchbook in one hand, espresso in the other. It was a dream—and a reminder that creativity thrives when you're just a little out of your element.

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Spring brought me back to the East Coast, this time to Providence, where I interned at Nova working in femtech. I got to work on projects focused on designing for real people with real needs—something that’s become increasingly important to me. The team was collaborative, thoughtful, and deeply invested in pushing healthcare forward. It was one of those experiences that quietly shapes how you think about your career (and your values).

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Outside of design, I’ve been chasing birds and boulders. I fell hard for birding this year—like, waking-up-early-to-ID-a-hermit-thrush hard. My camera roll is now full of blurry wings and oddly satisfying bird checklists. When I wasn’t in the woods with binoculars, I was at the climbing gym working on my crimp game. There’s something about problem-solving on a wall that pairs weirdly well with solving for users on paper.

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I’ve tried to spend more time outside this year, less time on autopilot, and more time being where my feet are. Now I’m heading into my penultimate year at DAAP (!!) with muddy boots, messy sketches, and a better sense of what kind of designer—and person—I want to be.