In this role, I collaborated with SMA directors to coordinate club activities, promote marketing program events, and communicate the program’s value to students. My primary responsibility was leading the redesign of the SMA website. Using the UX design process, I researched, prototyped, and developed a solution for Marketing students to access essential resources efficiently and effectively.
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This experience also provided the opportunity to mentor a fellow Marketing student, Cooper Whittington. I guided him through the full UX design process—from research to prototyping, development, and post-release optimization. His unique insights enriched the project, and watching him grow in the role was a rewarding leadership experience. This reinforced the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and empowering others to contribute their perspectives to achieve stronger outcomes.

Through this project, I learned how to translate user needs into actionable solutions, balance team collaboration with individual leadership, and optimize processes for efficiency and creativity. In my professional career, I will apply these lessons to develop marketing strategies that are user-centered, innovative, and team-driven. By leveraging these skills, I aim to create impactful solutions that address user needs and deliver measurable value to businesses.

I attended Meditech's Women in Tech panel, featuring six inspiring women from diverse backgrounds who shared their experiences working in a supportive and inclusive environment. Meditech, a leader in EHR systems, is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within its team.

Hearing their stories was both inspiring and educational, highlighting the importance of creating environments that empower individuals to thrive regardless of their gender or background. This panel reinforced my understanding of how inclusive workplaces drive innovation and growth.

From this experience, I learned practical ways to support diversity and inclusion, lessons I will apply in my marketing career to build campaigns and strategies that resonate with diverse audiences while fostering collaborative and inclusive team dynamics.

I attended Cushman & Wakefield’s DEI Panel on Diverse Perspectives, featuring Xavier Hill and Dami Jaiyeoba. The discussion emphasized the value of diversity in fostering innovation and long-term strategic success. The speakers explained how diverse professional and cultural backgrounds bring unique insights, challenge the status quo, and broaden the understanding of projects. They also highlighted Cushman’s initiatives to support minority-owned businesses through diverse supplier programs, which I found particularly inspiring.

This panel deepened my understanding of how to involve diverse perspectives in decision-making and supply chain practices. I will apply these lessons in my marketing career by seeking out and incorporating diverse viewpoints to create more inclusive strategies and by advocating for partnerships with diverse suppliers to drive equity and innovation.

I completed nonprofitready.org’s course on adopting an Equity and Inclusion Lens, which provided actionable strategies for incorporating equity and inclusion into professional work and interactions. The course highlighted the importance of addressing systemic barriers and inequities to create a workplace that is both innovative and representative of the community.

One of the key insights I gained was understanding the distinction between equity and equality. Equity focuses on fairness by recognizing and addressing individual barriers, whereas equality assumes uniform treatment. This understanding is essential for identifying and addressing the deeper, systemic causes of inequities rather than just surface-level symptoms.

Through this course, I learned to evaluate personal diversity factors, check assumptions, ask critical questions about inclusion, and integrate these principles into my work. Moving forward, I will apply this lens to marketing and design strategies by ensuring my developed solutions are inclusive and reflective of diverse audiences. Additionally, I will foster equitable team dynamics by recognizing and addressing unique needs, creating an environment where everyone can contribute and thrive.

I participated in several events hosted by Brain Station, including Careers and Coffee, the UX Design Intro day, and the Vancouver Tech Social. Brain Station is a learning academy specializing in professional communication within technology-focused fields like digital marketing and UX design. These events offered the opportunity to connect with young professionals from diverse disciplines and gain insights into entering the field as a UX Designer and Digital Marketer.

At Careers and Coffee, experienced panelists shared valuable perspectives on future market trends, particularly in the Vancouver tech scene. I practiced professional communication by engaging with panelists and peers, exchanging ideas, and securing contacts to follow up on our conversations.

These experiences helped me strengthen my ability to network effectively, ask insightful questions, and communicate my professional goals. I will apply these skills in my marketing career to build meaningful connections, stay informed about industry trends, and collaborate with diverse professionals to drive innovative solutions.

During my sophomore year at Western Washington University, I completed a Communications course called Identity and Difference. This class focused on understanding how personal context influences interactions and how unconscious biases can shape the way we communicate with others.

Through this course, I learned to recognize when unconscious biases might affect my interactions and how to adjust my behavior to prevent unintended harm. This awareness is critical for fostering respectful and effective communication in diverse settings.

I will apply these lessons in my professional career by approaching colleagues, customers, and solutions with greater empathy and mindfulness. By being conscious of potential biases, I can create inclusive marketing strategies, resonate with diverse audiences, and promote equity in communication.

As the Director of Web Design for SMA, I hosted a User Experience Design workshop to introduce Marketing students to UX Design and provide hands-on experience with Figma, a prototyping tool. Preparing for and leading this workshop deepened my understanding of the UX process and helped me refine my solo presentation and teaching skills.

The experience was both rewarding and challenging, especially when students asked complex questions that required thoughtful, research-backed responses. This pushed me to prepare thoroughly and communicate concepts effectively, ensuring participants left with a clear understanding of the topic.

Through this workshop, I developed stronger public speaking and instructional skills, which I will apply in my marketing career to clearly convey ideas, train team members, and engage diverse audiences. This experience also sparked my interest in potentially pursuing a teaching role in the future, highlighting the value of sharing knowledge and inspiring others.

During the summer of 2023, I worked as a Digital Marketing Intern for IronGate Enterprises, an eCommerce management and optimization company. In this role, I gained extensive knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and managed multiple paid search campaigns through Amazon Seller Central, including one of the company's top-performing campaigns. I also developed skills in tracking keyword KPIs to enhance product listings and optimize paid search performance.

A highlight of my internship was creating Excel tools to automate keyword data processing, enabling bulk adjustments to keyword bids. This experience not only strengthened my proficiency in data analytics and Excel but also demonstrated the importance of using data-driven insights to inform decisions.

The technical skills I developed during this internship—SEO, paid search management, data analytics, and automation—have given me a strong foundation to excel in marketing. I will apply these skills in future roles to create efficient, high-impact marketing strategies that are informed by actionable data.

From April 2021 to December 2024, I worked as a Line Cook at Northwater in Bellingham, WA. This role was both challenging and rewarding, especially as I started during a difficult period when the restaurant had just reopened after COVID. The workload was intense, with high-pressure rushes and late-night closing shifts that pushed me to balance work and academics.

Working in such a demanding environment taught me how to communicate effectively in high-stress situations. Clear, direct communication was essential to coordinate prep, manage tickets, and complete closing tasks efficiently. I also developed leadership skills by mediating conflicts among coworkers from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of camaraderie despite the challenges.

This job underscored the importance of strong team relationships and how they contribute to a cohesive, supportive work environment. While it clarified that restaurant work wasn't my long-term path, the lessons in team leadership, adaptability, and effective communication will guide me in my marketing career, especially in managing projects and working collaboratively under pressure.